The Mermaid and The Beast
by ladyanaconda
Summary: Spark, a mermaid abandoned from birth, sets out to discover where she comes from and who her parents were. On an assignment to sneak into a Sharkanian camp, she is captured and taken back to Sharkania, but one particular Sharkanian seems to hold sympathy for her, and treats her fairly nice. Soon she'll find out he is closer to her than he looks.
1. Chapter 1

The Mermaid and the Beast.

Chapter 1- Prologue

It all began on a stormy night.

Despite the entire ruckus happening above the surface, the creatures of the sea continued with their daily lives. Some of them were just awakening from a good day's sleep, and swam out of their homes, looking around the algae and corals for something to eat. Although the storm and rain didn't affect the bottom of the ocean, the lightings could be seen from the darkest depths.

A sudden scream of pain startled them.

It was a woman's scream; it sent shivers down every fish's spines. Turtles retreated inside their shells, stingrays returned to their hideouts in the sand, and fish swam back into their homes upon hearing it. However, there were a few fish that felt curiosity of the origin of the soul-tearing screams, but most of them swam back when they realized the screams were coming from one of the most dreaded places in the seven seas.

Sharkania.

Very few fish dared to brave the Sharkanians' homeland; there were cannons filled with lava running across the land, with scattered sunken ships which served as homes for the shark-like merfolk. What made the Sharkanians even more feared by every creature in the sea was their temper; strong, proud and aggressive; one wrong word and you slept with the fishes (literally).

The screams were coming directly from one sunken ship in the Sharkanian territory, but no one dared to go and find out what was going in there; they imagined a poor mermaid was being attacked or tortured by one of those sea devils, or even worse. The screaming continued for what seemed an eternity, until finally, it stopped, as mysteriously as it had begun.

Baby crying took its place.

* * *

Saltwater Orphanarium was one of the least recurred buildings in Atlantica. There were only a few orphans in King Triton's reign, given that in his rule, all the merfolk lived peacefully and with almost no wars or anything that could leave a merchildren as orphans. But not everything was colored in pink, as humans said, and despite the King's efforts, there were still a few orphans there and there, either abandoned by their families or having run away from home.

The warden of the orphanarium was a mermaid in about her thirties named Sky, and she was among the few who genuinely cared about orphans. She had tan skin, and brunette hair, which was tied in a ponytail; her eyes were, like her name implied, of a sky blue color, tinted with a little navy blue. Her tailfin was a moderate cherry pink, she wore darker pink shells to adorn her breasts.

The merchildren of the orphanarium all adored her above all the other volunteers working there: she was like a mother-like figure to all of them, and encouraged them that someday they would have a loving family. But unfortunately, there were actually only one or two pair of married merfolk that were interested in adopting an orphaned child every generation, since most of them preferred children with their own flesh and blood.

That particular night, after tucking in the merchildren who were afraid of storms, Sky headed back to her office to organize her paperwork, which in one of her small mistakes were blown by a current that came in from her opened window. After closing her window securely this time, the mermaid started picking the papers up and placed them back on her green coral desk. Before she could finish with her task, the bell rang, calling her attention.

"_Who could it be at this hour?_" thought Sky as she swam towards the door; whoever it was, it surely didn't want to adopt a child. Opening the door, she realized there was no one around the streets, except for a few guards who were on patrol, just in case one troublemaker or two appeared. But before she could close the door, a faint sound reached her ears. Sky looked down, and took a delicate hand to her lips, containing a gasp.

There was a giggling newborn baby at the doorstep, inside a small algae basket. She was covered with a pink blanket: The baby had storm blue hair tinted with a little red, and her skin was of a sandy color. The tip of her tailfin, which stuck out slightly from the blanket, was a metallic, grayish blue, which would remind Sky of the Sharkanians' color- NO! What was she thinking? This girl had nothing to do with those… monsters.

Sky noticed there was a slip of paper clipped on the blanket, and there was a small paper nametag on the basket, which read:

_Spark_

Sky picked the basket up, staring at the newborn, which had started sucking up her index. The mermaid playfully tickled the girl's nose, and the baby took a hold of her finger after setting her hazel eyes on it. She set her attention on the slip of paper, and taking it from the blanket she started reading. Her eyes widened a little, realizing the note was addressed to the daughter; she would have to put it away until the girl was old enough to read.

"Welcome to the Saltwater Orphanarium, I guess," Sky smiled warmly, closing the door and taking the girl from the basket, she headed towards the cribs. After tucking the now drowsy newborn on the closest to the door, Sky returned to her office and opened the drawer to place the note, not before giving it one last read.

* * *

_My dear little Spark…_

_I'm sorry it had to be this way, but please understand that I cannot keep you. Your mother died giving you to me, and my… kind doesn't tolerate children born out of wedlock. I'm writing this because I want you to know that despite anything that happens, I love you. But as much as it pains us both, it will be best that you never find out who I am._

_Farewell, my child._

_Your real father._

* * *

Spark sighed sadly as she put away the note in her armor. The fifteen year-old girl had grown into a beautiful young mermaid, with long, wavy hair that often waved with the water currents and was so long it almost reached her waist. Her tail fin was long and with a good waist, she was considered beautiful by the young mermen that swam by her, but she paid them no heed. She was not interested in finding a boyfriend right then; she was mostly interested in finding out about her past.

Her lifelong dream was to meet her family, and find out why they had abandoned her. According to the note, she assumed her mother died at childbirth, and for some reason her father could not keep her with him. For fifteen years, all those times she cried, all those times she laughed, she wished her father would have been with her. But what upset her the most was the fact was that at times she felt... like an outcast.

Most mermaid girls liked thinking about the boy they liked, or the latest fashion trend, but not her. She was always interested in sharks, something she could never explain. As a child, she would sneak out of the Orphanarium and swim towards the open sea, where she often observed passing sharks, not minding if they came closer to her. The most shocking fact about the whole thing was that even if they noticed her presence and even swam closer to her, they _never_ attacked her. The sharks usually sniffed her, then swam away, but young shark pups often waved their tail fins playfully, like a dog from the surface.

Because of this, Spark lived as an outcast most of her time. her fellow orphans of the Orphanarium thought of her as a shark-loving freak, and even gave her a nickname to rub it in her face: "Shark-girl." But she didn't care. Spark didn't care what they thought of her, if they didn't like her, it was their problem. She never listened to them at all; Sky was the only mermaid that she could trust. Although the older mermaid didn't understand Spark's... unusual fondness of sharks, she was the only one who didn't ridicule her because of it.

After turning fifteen, Spark was allowed to live independently, and she decided to join the regiment, which made her former fellow orphans think he had gone completely nuts. Only mermen were allowed to join the army, but after showing that she was a capable fighter and a stealth spy, Spark was reluctantly allowed in the Atlantican regiment.

Most of her assignments included patrolling the streets at night, sneaking on potential threats (such as a passing octopi an or suspicious-looking fish) and guarding the gates to the palace. In one of her shifts in the palace, she befriended one of the swordfish named Bluetail, who had recently joined the palace guard; it was one thing they had in common, both newbies, inexperienced and completely alone in the world. They became very close, like siblings.

"Sparky?" Bluetail's voice caught Spark's attention, and she turned to look at his golden eyes.

Like his name implied, he was colored of a solid blue, with his jaw and underbelly colored of a light blue. His tail fin had a few scars and bite marks, probably from a fight with a shark, and a spiky spine ran down his back, ending at his tail. His nose was long and sharp, like all swordfish's, and two fangs stuck from his mouth, pointing downwards. he had thick, black eyebrows, and navy blue rings around his eyes.

"What is it, Blu?" Spark replied, letting out a yawn and accommodating her helmet, "Did the attaché have one of his panic attacks again?"

Bluetail let out a small laugh, "No, not this time. Mr. Sebastian has not had one of his 'little scenes' these days, thank Triton for that, I wouldn't stand hearing his yelling again."

"What is it, then?"

"Well, we..." Bluetail swallowed the lump in his throat nervously, "Remember when you said you wanted to go 'out there and find something to fight with'?"

Spark started playing with the tip of her lance, "Yep"

"Commander Narcissus assigned us both to infiltrate a Sharkanian camp and steal their plans. He thinks they are planning to attack us, and he wants those plans to figure out what they are thinking."

...

"Sharkanian camp?" Spark repeated, a glint of hope in her eyes.

Bluetail sighed in resignation, "Unfortunately, yes."

The swordfish was taken by surprise by a hug from his mermaid friend, who spun around in excitement.

"I can't believe it! Finally some action! And I get to meet Sharkanians too!"

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a second!" Bluetail pulled away from the hug softly, "I understood the action part, but why would you want to meet Sharkanians? Haven't you heard? They're barbarian, bloodthirsty monsters! I don't think we should accept this assignment at all..."

"Come on, Blue!" Spark put her hands on her hips, "When did you become so boring? Besides, it's a piece of cake. All we have to do is to sneak in when they're all asleep, grab those plans and then come back."

"Yeah, if you don't take into account that Sharkanians are not precisely merciful..."

"Please, Blue! It's our chance to prove ourselves! We might even get promoted if our mission is a success! Besides, you would be away from Mr. Sebastian..."

Bluetail thought for a moment, "Well, when you put it that way..." finally, he smiled, "Alright, we should give it a shot."

Spark swam around the swordfish in excitement, "Oh, great! Just wait! We'll be done with the job before you can say 'Were Screwed!'"

* * *

Spark and Bluetail silently swam through the algae fields, in the direction Commander Narcissus had given them. THe particular camp they were going to sneak in was not that bit, it was simply a base for the Sharkanian soldiers to stop for supplies and then continue with their patrolling. It was located in the border between Atlantica and Sharkania, just in case Triton attempted to sent some of his troops to invade Sharkanian territory, despite the Atlantican monarch not having any interest in attacking Atlantica's neighbors.

When they finally reached the outskirts of the camp, the pair of friends hid behind one of the boulders that was located just outside. A few guards were still stationed around the camp, watching for any potential threat. Spark noticed there were poles on one side of the camp, and to those poles there were tied Great White Sharks. Apparently, Sharkanians preferred them over giant seahorses; in fact, Sharkanians were the only known seafood that could actually domesticate sharks. the sharks had coral saddles on their backs, with a thick algae belt keeping the saddles on their backs. The saddles were especially designed for those sharks, with one hole for the dorsal fins. Also, the bridle was long, tied to the masts.

A plan began forming in Spark's mind, but Bluetail was the only one who could do it. She gave Bluetail a glance.

"Hey, Blue..." I have an idea.

"What is it?"

When Spark motioned to the shark, Bluetail's eyes widened in realization and horror.

"Oh, no!" he whispered in low voice, attempting not to yelp, "They'll eat me!"

"No, they won't! I'll cut untie their bridles, you gain their attention, and I'll sneak into the tent to get the plans when the guards go after them.

Bluetail groaned in dismay, but gave his friend a nod.

"You untie them, I lead them away."

"Great. Stay here, and when I give you the signal, gain the sharks' attention and swim as fast as you can, but make sure they are still following you."

Spark quietly swam towards the pole the sharks were tied to, hiding wherever she could every time the guards looked around. When she was about to reach the pole, she took her trusty coral knife and started cutting the rope, but stopped when one of the shakes yawned, baring his sharp teeth, and went back to sleep. The mermaid sighed in relief and kept cutting the bridles. When she was done, she motioned for Bluetail to start with his distraction, and the swordfish reluctantly swam towards the sleeping sharks just as Spark sent to hide behind a chest.

"Hey, you ugly things!" Bluetail called out, earning the attention of both the sharks and the guards, "You want a piece of me? Come and get me!"

Saying this, he swam away at top speed; the sharks didn't hesitate and almost immediately swam after him, craving swordfish meat.

"Hey, get back here!" One of the guards cried out before apparently all of the Sharkanians on patrol swam after their now-loose mounts.

Spark made sure there were no more Sharkanians around, snickering as she heard the guards' cries getting farther and farther. The mermaid accommodated her armor and silently swam around the camp (in case there were Sharkanians sleeping in the tents), trying to locate the Commander's tent. She took a while, but eventually, she peeked into the largest tent, which she assumed was the place she was looking for. It was a meeting room for the Sharkanian commander and his closest warriors: there was a wooden table (probably from the sunken ships) in the middle of the tent, illuminated by a coral and rock lamp, and an algae bed on the ground. A chest was located across the room, in which Spark assumed the plans were being kept.

The mermaid swam into the tent, making sure there was no one in there, and trembled slightly when she saw the collection of spears accomodated on the side; Spark felt a shiver down her spine, imagining how sharp Sharkanian weapons were. Spark swam towards the chest, took out her knife and started lock picking it. After a while, the lock gave way to her knife, and the mermaid smirked in triumph as she opened the chest... only to find it empty.

"What the-?!" Spark was cut off when she felt something sharp pressing lightly against her back. The mermaid fearfully turned her head around and found herself looking into the reddish pink eyes of a Sharkanian. The commander of the camp, she guessed.

"Make one fake move, and you're dead," he growled deep within his that, sending shivers down Spark's spine.

"C_rap_..." was all Spark thought before everything became dark.


	2. Prisoner or Guest?

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 2- Prisoner…. Or guest?

"_She's so beautiful… like her mother. She has no dorsal fin, no fangs; she even has hair! She's completely perfect, like a mermaid."_

"_In my professional opinion, she's the least shark-looking Sharkanian ever born. She takes more after her mother; I bet she would be confused with a normal, newborn mermaid."_

"… _She would, wouldn't she? Maybe I can do better for her after all…"_

When Spark finally regained her senses, the first thing she attempted to do was move, but she soon realized her hands were tied with a rope. She felt unusually warm, as if he has being held by something… or rather someone. Her head was still sore about that hit, so she didn't remember much about what happened… all she could recall was opening the empty chest, being caught in the act and…

Crap.

The enemy had captured her. She had heard the stories; Sharkanians were not precisely known for being merciful. She heard they had quite a knack for torture, told to her by captured merfolk who were lucky enough to escape the Sharkanians' stronghold. IF mermen were given terrible tortures at the hands of these barbarians, what would be in store for a mermaid, the first allowed in the regiment.

While being unconscious, Spark had heard voices inside her head. She had never heard them before in her lifetime; not in the orphanarium, not in the royal guard quarters, from none of those she had known. One possibility was that one of those voices belonged to her… father. It could be a memory of when she was a baby, repressed in the corners of her mind. If only she had managed to see her father… perhaps she could have a clue to how he looked like.

But what did 'least shark-looking Sharkanian' mean? She was a mermaid, not a Sharkanian. Her parents were merfolk... were they? Spark had heard more than once about hybrids or merfolk and other creatures, but it couldn't be. She had no shark characteristics, which the Sharkanians had.

Finally regaining her senses completely, Spark realized she _was_ in the arms of someone… a Sharkanian's arms. She didn't move a muscle, preferring that he kept thinking she was unconscious. However, she could tell they were riding one of the sharks she had cut loose, judging by the fact her captor was not swimming. The Sharkanian used one arm to hold his mermaid prisoner, and the other to lead the shark he was riding.

Spark discretely took a look at her captor; he looked like any other Sharkanian, armor and all, except his was raven black, and his hat was red. His eyes were of an unusual silver color, which gave her a sensation of calm, and she noticed two fangs stuck out from his mouth, pointing upwards. He had the muscular but slender body of his race, and the characteristic dorsal fin on his back. What called her attention to this particular Sharkanian was a large scar across his left eye, probably from a fight with another Sharkanian. She guessed he was in about his forties, maybe a bit younger. Spark immediately closed her eyes when the Sharkanian looked down at her, and felt his gaze rest upon her.

"Stop faking, girl. I know you're awake," he spoke in a voice that demanded respect

Spark sighed in defeat and opened her eyes, meeting his captor's. Surprisingly, she saw no aggression or hate in his eyes, but almost like… longing. And his voice was strangely familiar to her, as if she had met him before. But she couldn't remember.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sharkanian-" Spark tried to speak, but her captor interrupted her.

"You don't have to be formal with me, girl. Just call me Jake." He spoke, and gave her a questioning look, "Do you have a name, girl?"

"Yes," she trembled when she spoke, "I'm Spark."

"I guess the swordfish that led our mounts away is a friend of yours, isn't he?"

Spark almost jumped when he mentioned her best friend, but Jake quickly stopped the shark and caught her before she could fall, "Bluetail?! How is he?! What happened?!"

Jake sighed as he lightly smacked his tailfin against the shark's side, motioning him to continue.

"The swordfish got away, not before attempting to save you," he replied, leading the shark towards his homeland, "I'm glad you didn't get to see what happened, Spark."

"You didn't hurt him, did you?! If you did, I'm having your head!"

Jake suddenly snapped, "Watch your tongue, young lady!"

Spark was surprised by his reaction, and suppressed a giggle when Jake blushed deeply and turned his gaze back to the route.

"Anyway, you should take a nap, it's still a long way to go. I'll wake you up when we get there."

Spark was reluctant about falling asleep with him holding her, but since she had nothing else to do, eventually she complied and fell into slumber, inadvertently shifting in Jake's arms and resting her head against his chest.

The Sharkanian looked down at the mermaid when he felt her shifting in his left arm, and realized she had fallen asleep, like he suggested. Jake let out a sigh as he softly accommodated her in his arms.

"_Why did you have to be captured precisely by my troop, Spark?"_ he thought somberly as he looked forward, watching as the familiar light from the lava pits came into view.

* * *

The Sharkanian stables were located just outside the outskirts of the capital city, Sharkosia. However, they were only open for members of the royal family and the soldiers, unless there were families lucky enough to have a shark. Those sharks were already used to the presence of the Sharkanians and were docile towards them, but had been trained to instantly tear non-Sharkanians apart as a method of defense.

Unlike what merfolk thought, Sharkanians were not cruel towards the animals. In fact, a shark will only bond with one particular Sharkanian in its lifetime, and the pair developed a unique relationship, but no one really knew if the shark or its rider could find another partner should the previous one die.

Bonding with a shark was a dangerous but required rite of passage for Sharkanian warriors, who after taming their mount became officially part of the army. When a young Sharkanian turned sixteen, he was taken by soldiers to the ruins of a sunken ship located south of Sharkania, where the largest Great Whites and best for taming resided. A Sharkanian has only one chance to tame a shark: the struggle between the rider and mount culminated in the shark's submission, after which the two shared a lifelong bond. This bond has to be sealed immediately by the Sharkanian guiding his mount in their first ride together.

Jake stopped his shark when they arrived at the doors of the stables, waiting for another soldier to take his stubborn mount inside. Jake gently shook Spark's shoulder.

"Spark, we're here." He whispered

Flicking her tailfin lightly, Spark let out a yawn and opened her eyes, but because of her ties, she was unable to rub them. She looked up at her Sharkanian captor with still sleepy eyes.

"Can't you carry me? I was having a good dream."

Jake rolled his eyes, but grinned lightly when Spark looked around, and helped the young mermaid dismount before dismounting himself. Taking his shark's reins, he motioned Spark to wait for him in the door and swam into the stables, which Spark noticed was built with the remnants of the sunken ships, abundant in Sharkanian territory.

She would have run away, but she knew she was being watched; she could feel the guards' gaze upon her, but unlike Jake's, their gaze was actually filled with hate. If would be best if she didn't provoke them.

"_I wonder what Sharkanian stables are like inside_…" Spark thought, but knew it would not be wise to enter a place without permission. After all, she was a prisoner. She tried to suppress her urge to take a look, but curiosity was a very strong emotion, and in the end Spark silently crossed the gates and looked around.

Sharks were kept inside iron cages, but despite the darkness, she could faintly see an algae bed on the bottom of the cages, and the sharks didn't appear to be sad or upset of being encaged. In fact, apparently they were used to it, at least they didn't struggle to find food.

Spark noticed one cage at the end of the corridor, but it was apparently unoccupied, she saw no signs of movement inside; failing to suppress her curiosity again, Spark swam closer to the cage, her tied hands trembling in fear. As she swam closer to the bars, she thought she could hear breathing coming from the inside…

"GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

Spark had no time to react as Jake swam unto her and pushed her away from the cage just as a giant shark rattled against the bars, angry about the mermaid having disturbed his sleep. It was the largest shark Spark had ever seen, even rivaling the size of a giant seahorse; it had blood red eyes, and sharp teeth. The shark was also full of scars, present on its back and face. But what made the shark even more frightening than the rest was it's white color… not just any white, but a pale, cold white like a corpse's. The albino shark tackled against its cage, going as far as to try and tear one of the bars.

Jake lifted the mermaid and took her by the shoulders, glaring into her blue eyes, "What were you thinking?! I thought I told you to stay outside!"

"I'm sorry, I just had curiosity!" Spark defended herself, making the Sharkanian smack his forehead with his hand.

"Just… let's get out, shall we?"

Spark didn't protest as Jake took her by the arm and softly but firmly dragged her out of the stables, feeling nervous about the amused glances the guards were giving them. When she was certain they were out of earshot, Spark inquired, "Who was that shark, anyway?"

Jake sighed as he glanced back at her, "It's Emperor Shaga's mount, and believe me when I tell you; he's hard to control and hard to love. Only the Emperor is able to get close to him, no one else. You are lucky, most unwary Sharkanians loose their tailfins when they approach the albino's cage"

"Does it have a name?"

"We simply call it The Albino."

Spark sighed sadly as she looked towards the distant entrance into the Sharkanian territory.

She wondered what Bluetail was doing at the moment…

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO?!" Bluetail yelled at the top of his lungs, infuriated at his superior.

He had barely escaped from the Sharkanians, failing to save his beloved friend, and returned to Atlantica. He had gone to Commander Narcissus' office and explained the situation to him, but what did he say?

"There's nothing I can do!" Narcissus replied firmly, banging his fists on the table and setting his green eyes on the swordfish, "She has probably been taken to Sharkanian territory now, and we can't risk starting a war by sending a rescue team just for one soldier!"

"That soldier is my friend!" Bluetail snapped, failing to contain his anger, "And if I had to give my life for her, I would!"

"That's enough, private!" Now it was Narcissus time to yell, "Spark was a good soldier, despite being a mermaid she showed she determination and strength of a true royal guard, but not eve she will be able to resist the Sharkanians' methods! And we don't even know what they can do to her, taking into account she is a mermaid-"

"That's my point! We can't just stay here with our fins crossed! We must at least try to save her!"

"At what cost?! Invading the Sharkanians' territory not would only cost us the lives of many, but our peace agreement with them! Emperor Shaga's condition on accepting the treaty was that we do not send soldiers into his territory without his permission!"

"But-!"

"This conversation is over!" Narcissus turned his muscular back on Bluetail, his long black hair waving in the water, "You are dismissed."

Bluetail gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, but knew his place, "Yes, sir."

The swordfish contained tears as he swam out of Narcissus' office, not wanting to accept the fact that his friend, his _sister_, could be dead by then. And apparently, Narcissus didn't mind sacrificing Spark for the sake of all of Atlantica.

If he would not help him… he would have to do this on his own.

* * *

Spark trembled as Jake took her to the prison; she was secretly thanking that Emperor Shaga was not in the mood to deal with a captured mermaid, and ordered her captor to take her to prison. She trembled at the idea of the ruler of the most violent race in the seven seas dealing personally with her, and hoped Shaga would remain in his bad mood as long as she was kept there.

But she was surprised when Jake insisted on 'taking care' of her, despite the other Sharkanians' protest that they wanted to 'play' with the 'lady', which she felt was not a good thing. Luckily for her, Shaga was in such a horrible mood that he agreed to Jake's request and out the mermaid under his care, just wishing to be left alone. But Spark would never forget when the Emperor first set his eyes on her, they were so cold, so cruel… she had wanted to dig herself under the sand and die.

Jake led the mermaid through the corridors of the Sharkanian palace (a group of Sunken ships connected by bridges) and, after arriving at a ship which was located deeper into the canyons, motioned Spark to swim down into one hole on the ship's deck, leading her into a corridor filled with iron cells.

He opened the door, used his spear to cut Spark's ties, and softly pushed her into the cell, closing it shut. However, the mermaid gave her a confused look.

"Aren't you going to chain me up? I heard that's what you do with prisoners."

Jake shook his head and gave her a small smile, "I don't need to. I think you're smart enough to figure you can't escape from here, anyway."

Having said this, he swam upwards, into the hole above deck. Spark watched him go, her head pondering with questions. Why was that Sharkanian do… nice to her? Why hadn't he tortured or attacked her? When he was bringing her to Sharkania, he had been considerate enough to put her in a comfortable position, and in the stables, he had saved her from losing her tailfin to The Albino.

"All this wondering is not going to help me figure a way to escape…" Spark whispered as she looked around, spotting an algae bed on the corner of the cell, "Wow. I wonder if Jake put that bed in here too… Maybe he did.

Spark swam towards the algae bed and gently floated down, shifting and attempting to accommodate herself. After about twenty minutes of moving around in the algae bed, Spark finally managed to close her eyes and fall asleep.

When Jake returned, holding a blanket, and peeked into the cell, he realized Spark had already fallen asleep, having nothing else to do. The Sharkanian opened the door as silently as he could, trying not to awake the mermaid, and unfolded the blanket as he swam closer to her. When he was by Spark's side, he set the blanket upon her, and smiled as she shifted around, twitching her tailfin lightly. Knowing she was fast asleep, Jake couldn't resist and caressed her wavy hair, before swimming out of the cell and closing the door as silently as he had opened it.


	3. Memories

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 3- Memories

"_Are you sure you want to do this?"_

"_It's her only chance. If she stays here, everyone will notice immediately she's different and she'll be killed. All I can do for her is to leave her in a place where she will be seen as normal."_

"_But you won't be able to be with her. In her upbringing, they'll probably tell her about us, and she'll hate our race. You won't be able to hold her when she cries, or be there for her when she needs you. Are you willing to sacrifice that?"_

"… _It's… it's the best for her. I can't keep her… She'll be better with the merfolk…"_

Spark rubbed her eyes as she let out a yawn, rising from the algae, when she noticed something; she was covered with a blanket, but she had seen none when she entered… It was probably a courtesy of Jake, again making her wonder why he was so kind to her. Spark made sure Jake was not there and silently took her father's note out of her armor, reading to herself. She always read the note wherever she felt alone, it made her feel as if her father was right next to her, comforting her.

Spark quickly tucked the note back into her armor when she heard her door being opened, and quickly swam into the corner or her cell when one of the guards of her cell swam into her cell, closing the door shut behind him. He was giving her a lustful grin, and licked his teeth in anticipation.

"What do you want?" Spark spoke firmly, but her resolve crumbled as the Sharkanian swam closer to her

"Well, since Jakey didn't give us the chance to meet you before, I thought it would be better to introduce myself personally," the Sharkanian guard examined the mermaid's figure slowly, "But how about you take off that armor? I bet you must be hot from all of that metal over your beautiful body."

Spark's eyes widened in horror as she realized what were the Sharkanian's intentions; she swam back, but felt the wooden wall of her cell against her back.

"Stay away from me!" she cried, but she guard put a hand over her mouth and pulled her close.

"Shh, be quiet now, darling," he licked his lips and narrowed his eyes maliciously, "I just want to feel you… You will enjoy it… I've always wondered how it felt like to make it to a mermaid. The females of our race are not as beautiful as female merfolk, believe me."

The Sharkanian placed his lips on the mermaid's, in a soft way and started to open and inspect them. Spark couldn't move, she was terrified of what was happening; she could only close her eyes. The Sharkanian closed them as well, enjoying that sensation. He felt his heart beating with force and his shark instincts demanding him to go on, to never stop. Tired of the lips, he softly introduced his tongue into the mermaid's palate, starting to inspect it. Spark had a sweet ice cream flavor, a luxury Sharkanians didn't have.

Spark felt her kisser's tongue in her mouth, inspecting every corner while leaving a strong sensation of fish and blood. The guard started to play with her exposed waist and belly, caressing them softly; he felt the softness of her pale skin. He had lost his mind, he no longer thought, the only thing he wished was to make this sexy mermaid his.,, he could not hold it any longer, his body burned in lust.

Spark felt a shadow covering her, she couldn't help watching what was going on; it was the Sharkanian's tailfin, which wrapped around her, creating a small jail she could not escape from. She now felt the pression in her neck, the Sharkanian slowly lowered his inspection and slowly but decidedly started slipping her off from her body, exposing her chest

_Stop_

Spark could only freeze in place as a tear rolled down her cheek…

"STOP!"

Spark felt a wash of relief when her captor was violently pulled away from her, but she was still in shock from what almost happened and didn't mind seeing what happened; she allowed her body to sink to the wooden floor. Everything around her became a blur, she felt empty, as if her very heart stopped beating, and she no longer cared about anything. She pulled her tailfin and wrapped her arms around it; if she were human, she would be hugging her knees.

Jake pushed his fellow guard against the wall of Spark's cell, his pupils shrunk until they were almost invisible, and he bared his teeth menacingly, making him look like a monster, the monster every creature in the sea considered his race to be.

"DO NOT DARE TO TOUCH HER, HOOKBAIT!" he screamed at the top of his lungs

The Sharkanian named Hookbait got up and gave Jake an angry snarl, "Why do you care what I do with that mermaid? Does she mean something to you?!"

"THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

The two Sharkanians engaged in a fight; they were both using mostly their teeth, not bothering to throw a punch or tail kick. Jake dug his teeth into Hookbait's shoulder, who gritted his in pain and countered by whipping Jake with his tail; Jake was sent against the wall, but he was determined to protect Spark, and immediately lunged at Hookbait.

The two would have kept fighting if the rest of the guard hadn't arrived to separate them; however, when two Sharkanians fight, it is very difficult to break them off. It took two guards for Jake and Hookbait to be separated. Instinctively, the guards covered the struggling Sharkanians' mouths to prevent them from biting someone else. Both Jake and Hookbait let out muffled curses as they struggled violently, wanting to break free and continue their fight.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

Everyone remained silent when they heard that voice; even Jake and Hookbait stopped their struggling and froze in place, watching as their Emperor swam into the dungeons with an angry look, failing to give him the mandatory bow.

While he didn't like interfering in the royal guard's issues, Shaga _hated_ when they took their quarreling too far, and the sound of their fighting reached his chambers, often giving him a migraine. He examined the two responsible guards, who by then had been released and were struck with horror. He liked that, they knew who was in charge.

"Seriously, you two," snapped Shaga as he rubbed his temples, "Can't I take a single nap without you starting a fight? I've heard you have your personal conflicts, but this is ridiculous!"

Jake was the first to react and gave his Emperor a the respectful bow, "With all due respect, your Highness, Hookbait started the fight. He tried to force himself on the prisoner,"

Hookbait trembled when Shaga set his eyes on him and hissed, crossing his arms, "What do you have to say in your defense, Hookbait?"

Hookbait looked down in fake remorse, but genuine fear, "Nothing, your Highness."

Shaga glanced at the cell, and spotted the apparently traumatized mermaid on lying against the wall, hugging her tailfin. He had never liked the subject of… sexual acts done by force, not even for the mermaids. After a few seconds, the Sharkanian Emperor turned towards Jake.

"You, make sure she's fine. The rest, bring Hookbait for his punishment,"

Jake nodded and instantly swam into the cell, ignoring Hookbait's protests as he was dragged out of the prison block and taken away. He swam next to Spark, and realized she had entered a trance-like state to escape from her fright.

"Spark?" he called out, "Are you alright?"

When Spark heard Jake's voice and felt his hand upon her shoulder, that was it; she couldn't help it. She abruptly wrapped her arms around the Sharkanian's neck and sobbed into his armor's chest plate, not caring if he thought she was crazy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she sobbed uncontrollably, not minding to contain any tears, "If you hadn't arrived in time, he would have… he would have…"

The mere thought sent the mermaid into uncontrollable weeping; Jake was astonished for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around Spark and holding her close, caressing her hair gingerly.

"Sh-sh-sh, it's alright," he spoke softly, "I'm here, so don't worry."

Spark snuggled deeply into the Sharkanian's embrace, feeling safe in his arms for a reason she could not explain. But she did not care right then, all she cared about was to forget about what almost happened. She was glad Bluetail was not there to watch…

* * *

"Alright, on one hand, Spark could actually be dead by now, if I go there I could be killed for no reason at all," Bluetail thought, swimming around the entrance to the palace, "On the other hand, she could be still alive, locked up in a dungeon, and being tortured by the Sharkanians. There's no way I'll leave her there, she's the only friend I have! I have to rescue her, or at least die trying."

For the past half-hour, he had been conflicting the rational and emotional sides of himself, and the emotional side was winning. He would sneak into Sharkania and rescue his best friend, even if it cost his life. What kind of friend would he be if he left her to rot in the enemy's dungeons, or worse?

However, the swordfish knew he needed help; as reckless as he could be, not even he would dare of putting a fin in Sharkania unprepared. But he knew there were few-to-no fish that would risk their lives like that for someone they didn't know at all… but he knew of a mermaid who could give him some advice. He knew she loved Spark as much as he did.

Immediately, the swordfish swam in the direction of Saltwater Orphanarium.

* * *

Jake stared a Spark and didn't take his eyes off her for one second. It took him two hours to calm her down, and put her to bed for a while. Every now and then, she would still let out sobs, but they only lasted for a few seconds. He refused to leave her side, no matter how much the other guards insisted that he needed to rest; none of them understood why Jake was so attached to that mermaid he just met over a day ago.

"Spark…" he whispered, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, if it doesn't touch personal subjects, I have no problem…"

"What were you doing in the camp? You know it's very foolish to attempt infiltrating in a Sharkanian military camp, don't you? The only reason they didn't kill you was because you are a mermaid."

This caught Spark's interest, "You don't harm mermaids?"

Jake shook his head, "No, that's cruel, even for us. Mermaids are much more delicate than mermen, they wouldn't last a second in the torture chamber. And you haven't answered my question."

"Well, I…" Spark thought for a moment, "I guess you have already noticed, but I'm the first mermaid to have joined the Atlantica army… well, I'm not exactly in the army, I'm a guard, like you, but I think it's pretty boring. No offense," the mermaid blushed.

Jake chuckled, "Don't worry; actually, I think it can be boring sometimes, especially in times of peace."

"Anyway, that day, Bluetail and I had been assigned to infiltrate that camp because Commander Narcissus believed you were planning to attack Atlantica, and that's how all of this started.

The mention of the supposed 'attack' caught the Sharkanian's attention.

"What are you talking about? We have a peace treaty, we have no reason to attack you!""

Spark sat up, alarmed, "Wait… Then what was that camp doing there?"

Jake shrugged, "Well, I don't think setting up a camp in your own territory is against the rules, is it? As for your question, Emperor Shaga sent us to find new sources of food; winter is coming, and we are running low on fish."

"Then…" Spark looked down in confusion, "Why did Commander Narcissus send us there?"

"I have one more question. How did you convince your… parents to let you join the army?"

Jake noticed Spark became rather stiff when he asked that, and he knew why…

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's okay…" Spark replied, regaining her composure, "I don't have, I was abandoned when I was a baby. The worst of all, I didn't know who my parents were, and I always felt… different."

Spark didn't notice, but Jake looked away and closed his eyes shut, as if attempting to contain tears. When she looked up at him, he was looking down, having managed to calm down a bit, but she still noticed he was upset for some reason she couldn't explain.

"Jake, are you alright?" she inquired, and the Sharkanian quickly regained his composure

"It's okay, I'm fine," he replied, looking away, "I'm just having a headache, that's all."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure,"

"How did you get that scar?"

"This?" Jake gloomily caressed the scar across his left eye, "It's a long story."

"Care you tell me? I mean, we don't have anything to do right now." Spark insisted, making Jake roll his eyes and smile slightly.

"Alright, but I suggest you accommodate yourself," Jake sat down, placing his spear aside, "See… a few years ago, when I had just joined the guard, I had gone out for a ride since I wasn't needed. I've always loved riding Jessop in the sunken ships graveyard-"

"Jessop? Is that the name of your shark?" Spark inquired

Jake nodded, "That's right. He's stubborn, but docile. Anyway, that day, when I was passing by, I saw a mermaid, the most beautiful I had ever seen. I was going to pass by, but I noticed an Octopian was attacking her. Most of my race would have left her to be killed or worse, but I didn't; I couldn't. I fought with the Octopian, but even though I managed to drive him off, he had injured my eye."

"Did the mermaid heal you?"

The Sharkanian nodded, a smile spearing in his lips, "Yes, she did. I fell in love with her from that moment."

"And what happened to her?"

Jake's smile vanished and he looked away, "I'd rather not touch that subject, it's… painful for me," he whispered, trying to contain tears.

Spark nodded, understanding, "I see…" the mermaid let out a yawn, and rested on her bed, "I bet she would have loved you back… You're not like the rest of Sharkanians…"

Saying this, Spark fell asleep deeply. Jake sighed sadly, but smiled as he covered Spark with her blanket, and sat down next to her, caressing her hair gingerly.

"_My dear little Spark…_" he thought somberly as a tear rolled down his cheek, "_If only you knew…_"


	4. Jake and Bluetail's Predicament

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 4- Jake and Bluetail's Predicament

"She's BACK!"

Jake smacked his forehead and covered his fellow Sharkanian's mouth abruptly.

"Be quiet, Plummer! Remember the promise we both made, Spark can't find out!"

Plummer was, like Jake, a rather friendly Sharkanian who didn't have anything against merfolk; however, Plummer took it more to the extremes, and he was a known partygoer.

Plummer was of the few male Sharkanians who had not joined the army, he was of the pacific type (rare among Sharkanians). He wore no clothing or armor, save for a blue scarf he had found the other day in a sunken ship; he had seen humans wearing those long pieces of cloth, and found it rather comfortable. His eyes were the normal reddish pink, and he had two long fangs sticking out from his mouth, but pointing downwards.

"I'm sorry!" Plummer whispered in low voice, giving the still sleeping mermaid an enthusiastic look, "I never thought of ever seeing little Sparky again! And she's grown into quite the beautiful mermaid."

Jake rolled his eyes when his friend referred to Spark by the name he used to call her when she was born.

"What do you intend to do with Sparky?"

Jake sighed in sadness, "I'm trying to convince Commander Jaskket to release her, but I'm not having any luck at it. I guess she'll be staying here for some time."

"And what will you do? I heard what Hookbait tried to do to her…"

"Don't remind me! I swear I wanted to tear him apart right then!" Jake's blood started to boil upon remembering the previous day, "What did Emperor Shaga do to him, anyway?"

Plummer let out a hearty laugh, "You should have seen it! It was very funny! He forced Hookbait to clean The Albino's cage! He almost lost his right arm!"

"That's all? I imagined the Emperor would do something worse than that."

"You have no idea," Plummer snickered, "The Albino hadn't eaten in _three_ days."

Jake's eyes widened a little, and a small grin appeared on his lips.

"That changes things."

"Anyway, you haven't answered my question," Plummer regained his serious look, "What are you going to do with little Sparky?"

"I…" Jake looked down and closed his eyes; "I'm going to protect her with my life as much as I can, like I promised her mother."

"But you won't tell her the truth, will you-?"

"Of course not! She can't know I'm her father! It'll completely ruin her life-!"

Now it was Plummer's turn to cover his friend's mouth abruptly, looking back nervously as Spark shifted under her covers before settling down. Both Sharkanians let out a relieved sigh, and Jake softly removed Plummer's hands from his snout and motioned for his friend to follow him. The two silently swam out of Spark's cell and closed the door carefully so not to wake her up. Then they swam up, just above the prison and made sure there was no one around.

"I bring myself to tell her the truth, Plummer," Jake sighed sadly as he sat down on one of the barrels, "Even if I wanted to, what would she say? She would despise me with all her might, and I wouldn't stand it… I wouldn't be able to live in peace if I knew my own daughter hated me…"

"Come on, she doesn't seem like that type of merfolk-" Plummer was interrupted abruptly when Jake shot him a glare of genuine sorrow and pain.

"You weren't here, Plummer!" he hissed, "You didn't see her face when she said she was abandoned from birth! I wanted to tell her that I was there for her, even if she didn't notice me!"

Jake took his hands into his head and sobbed silently. Indeed, without anyone knowing (especially Spark), he had snuck into Atlantica to take a look at his daughter, even for a few seconds. He had seen her grow indirectly, for he was only able to go into Atlantica every few months, or even a year. Unfortunately, her Sharkanian side was often present in her behavior to some extent, mostly in her interest for Sharks.

"Look, Jake, I know it hurts, but you did what you had to do. You had no other choice, you said it yourself all those years ago, if she stayed she would have been executed. I bet Odette would have insisted on taking her if she had survived, anyway."

Upon hearing his beloved wife's name Jake closed his eyes shut and tried to contain tears, which Plummer took as a signal that he had said something wrong… again.

"I'm sorry, Jake, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright… I just need to be alone for a while."

Plummer understood and quietly swam away, not before giving his old friend a glance.

"By the way, I think you should get something to eat. You look live you have been starving for years, pal."

Jake rolled his eyes, but felt his stomach growling, as if agreeing with Plummer. But the Sharkanian was still reluctant about leaving Spark alone after what happened with Hookbait… he wasn't sure if there were others who had similar intentions, but he prayed there weren't… Besides, Plummer was right, he hadn't eaten for almost two days, and if he continued like that he would surely pass out sooner or later.

Jake searched through his armor and took out a slip of paper, unfolded it and stared at it for a while. It was a picture of a mermaid. She was resting on a field of green algae, smiling sweetly, her long, electric blue hair tinted with red flowing in the water, and her solid sapphire blue tailfin was slightly tangled with a few algae. Her hazel eyes were lit with joy.

The Sharkanian caressed the mermaid's cheek with his finger sorrowfully, then glanced at Spark's sleeping figure in the cell, "She is identical to her mother…"

Taking one last glance at Spark's sleeping figure, Jake tucked the picture away in his chest plate and swam away to the dining hall.

* * *

Sky led Bluetail through crystal doors, which led to a terrace filled with corals and underwater flowers of every bright color possible; she always went there to clear her thoughts or when she was very stressed out. On the edge of the terrace, there was an aqua green coral table, with two matching chairs on each side, and a jar with red flowers on top of the table. Sky motioned for Bluetail to take a seat; the swordfish complied, although with some difficulty on accommodating himself.

"You plan on sneaking into Sharkania to rescue Spark?" Sky inquired taking her seat

Bluetail nodded, "Yes. I don't care if I get killed in the process; I just want to make sure she is safe. I wanted to ask you some advice, you have been to Sharkania before, haven't you?"

Sky sighed before replying, "Yes, I did. But I'd rather not talk about it at all…"

The mermaid had gone to Sharkania for a not so pleasant affair; one of the children had run away from the Orphanarium, and a few days later a letter from Sharkania was delivered to her, asking if she had lost one of the orphans. Sky had to go all the way to Sharkania, where the leader of the army, a battle-scarred Sharkanian named Jaskket, gave the merchild back to her, and warned her to be more careful with how she dealt with them. The next time they would not be so 'merciful'.

"Do you know of any way I could get in?" Bluetail asked

"I'm not sure… I didn't sneak in there, I was asked to go fetch one of the children… but I guess the sunken ships cemetery would be a good place to start. The child I went for told me that it's close to Sharkosia and there are many places to hide from patrols. But it's also filled with great white sharks, and it's very dangerous." Sky explained

"Great whites? I've dealt with worse things than that-"

Sky interrupted him, "But not normal great whites. Those sharks are the largest around these parts; they're used by Sharkanians as mounts. Not even a giant seahorse would be able to hold its own against one of those sharks."

Bluetail looked down in thought, but gave Sky a look of determination, "I don't care! I just want to see my friend again! I want to bring her back home, no matter what!"

The couple remained silent for a few minutes, before Sky gave the swordfish a small smile.

"You love her, don't you?"

Bluetail immediately blushed deeply when she asked him that, giving him an almost purplish color. He trembled as he spoke, "W-What are you talking about? She is my friend!"

Sky grinned, "Don't deny it, you are blushing and sweating."

Bluetail looked down in defeat and let out a sigh, "Fine, you got me! I love Sparky and I'd give up my life for her! Are you happy now?!"

Bluetail let out a sneeze and his nose got stuck in the table, making him blush even more, making Sky giggle.

"Uh… Would you lend me a fin?"

* * *

"Spark, wake up, girl."

Spark let out a yawn as she felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her awake softly. She rubbed her eyes softly as she looked up to see Jake giving her a small smile,

"I thought you were hungry, so I brought you something," he held out a plate with a sliced fish for her, before sighing, "Well, I don't know if you eat fish, and I didn't want to wake you up, so…"

"It's okay. Actually, I love fish."

Jake was rather surprised by her answer and watched as she gently took the plate and started eating, with no trace of disgust or anything on her face.

"You… like fish?"

Spark nodded as she took another piece of fish into her mouth, "Yep. Is that a problem or something?"

"No, no! It's just that… well, I've seen that merfolk live alongside fish, and I didn't think I would ever see one who actually ate them, like humans do."

"I can't really explain it either. I love fish, and as you saw my best friend is a swordfish, but there are times when I _crave_ for fish meat, even though I don't like killing them." Spark looked down at the pieces of fish, "In fact, this is the first time I've ever tasted fish in my entire life."

"At least you vary what you eat," Jake laughed softly, "We Sharkanians eat nothing more than fish every day. I swear, I'm tired of fish, I've eaten nothing more than that since the day I was born."

As she ate the last piece of fish, Spark gave the Sharkanian an incredulous look, "You're kidding."

"No, I'm serious. We eat fish from the moment we have our first teeth, and meanwhile we are fed with mashed sardines. "

"Ew."

Jake snickered, "At least someone agrees with me."

"Jake, can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you take me out for a walk?" Spark blushed and looked down, "I know I'm a prisoner here, but… I'm tired of simply being in here sleeping."

Jake thought for a moment and, after a while, gave the mermaid a nod.

"No problem, I just need to get you a disguise."

* * *

Jake glanced nervously around the entrance of the palace, making sure there was no one around, and motioned for Spark to follow him. The mermaid cautiously swam out, the upper half of her body painted in the Sharkanians' skin color; luckily, since her tailfin was of the standard dark metallic color, it was no problem at all. Surprisingly, Jake explained to her that female Sharkanians didn't actually have dorsal fins, only males. Spark had insisted on hiding her hair or something, but Jake simply told her it was not necessary.

Soon, she realized why.

Female Sharkanians were surprisingly less shark looking than males; they looked like mermaids who had painted themselves, like Spark just had, and sharpened their teeth. Their tailfins were horizontal and slim, and their build was much more thinner than males. They were also shorter in height and length.

Jake led Spark through Sharkosia, showing her points of interest like the marketplace, the army quarters and the sunken ship cemetery, where the wild sharks lived. However, after an incident with a shark pup, the two quickly swam back to the market place.

"That was close…" Spark panted heavily, but let out a laugh afterwards.

"Don't remind me…" Jake replied, "We almost lost our tailfins… twice."

"To think The Albino is much more dangerous than those makes me tremble. And you say only Emperor Shaga can actually get close to that monster?"

Jake nodded, "Yep. A shark would never attack its own master, no matter how wild, rough or aggressive it is. The Albino is one of the two only things the Emperor cares for."

"What's the second thing?"

Before Jake could reply, Spark caught the sound of something… screaming and baby crying. The couple swam towards the source of the sound, coming from a rather large sunken ship, but when Jake realized what was going on, he tried to take Spark away.

"Hey, Spark, did I show you the library? I think I didn't, come on…" he said, taking her hand and trying to swim away, but Spark softly slipped her hand off his grip.

"Wait, I want to see what's going on," she replied.

"Believe me, you don't!"

"Why not?"

Jake looked away in shame, "It's… delicate."

"What do you mean…?"

"No, father! Please, don't do it!"

Jake abruptly pushed the mermaid back and took her to the side of the ship, where they were covered by a shadow. Spark saw as two armored guards swam out of the side of the ship, followed by a much larger Sharkanian, who instead of a chest plate, wore an aqua green scarf-like collar which covered part of his chest and back, and the 'feather' of his hat was much longer. He had various scars across his face and arms, probably from past battles. He looked much stronger than the other Sharkanians, even though he had just the same build. He was carrying a crying newborn Sharkanian in his arms, but paid it no heed.

Jake closed his eyes in pain; he knew perfectly what was happening.

"Who is that?" Spark inquired, trembling.

Jake put a hand on her shoulder, "That's… commander Jaskket."

Suddenly, a female Sharkanian of about the same age as Spark, but with dark brown hair, swam after Jaskket, but was stopped by the armored guards.

"Father, I beg you!" she cried, tears in her eyes, "Don't kill him! He's my baby! Your grandson!"

Jaskket looked back at her with a look of anger and, if Spark knew him, perhaps she would have thought he had a little remorse in his eyes as well, "You know the law! You should have thought about it before giving yourself to that damn boy!"

He gave one of the guards a stern look, "Williams, stay with her and make sure she doesn't go anywhere until I get back."

The named guard nodded, "Yes, sir."

"NO!" the young female tried to swim after her father, but Williams held her by the waist, a sorrowful look in his eyes.

"Sapphire, stop, it's no use…" he whispered

Spark was frozen in shock as she saw how Williams led the female named Sapphire, who had now broken into tears, inside. What just happened? Was that Jaskket actually going to…?

"No…" she muttered in disbelief

"Spark, we should head back…" Jake whispered to her softly as he took her hand, "They'll notice you are not in your cell."

It took a while for the mermaid to react, but she ended up following the Sharkanian, trying in vain to erase what just happened from her brain. She had heard Sharkanians were merciless, but this? It was just too much for her to bear.

* * *

"WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?!"

The first thing Spark did when she returned to her cell was break down into tears, not believing what she had seen. Jaskket was actually going to kill that baby, his own flesh and blood? Despite Jake's attempts to calm her down, he was not having such luck at it.

"HOW COULD HE DO SUCH A THING TO HIS OWN GRANDSON?!" Spark screamed, almost making the entire ship tremble, "IT'S JUST A BABY!"

"SPARK!" Jake yelled, finally getting the mermaid's attention, "Listen to me! I know killing a newborn it's not something to be proud of, but it's how we manage things here. I don't like it either, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Why…? What did his… daughter do?"

Jake motioned her to sit down, and sat besides her, looking at the wall.

"It's not that Commander Jaskket doesn't love his daughter. He adores her, she's his whole world, but since his wife died when she was just a pup, he had to raise her all on his own while leading the army. He became overprotective of her to the point he didn't want her to get involved with males until she turned eighteen and became a candidate for marrying."

Spark looked up at the Sharkanian, "What did she do?"

"She… she started seeing a young male in secret from her father, and apparently, they 'did' it."

"Did… it?"

Jake nodded, "That's right. Long story short, Sharkanian law forbids that type of intercourse until marriage, and offspring resulting from those intercourses are…" he closed his eyes, "… put down."

Spark gasped and took her hands to her mouth, "Put down?"

"I'm afraid so. Commander Jaskket was probably taking the newborn to the surface to abandon him on a desert island and leave him to dry up under the sunlight."

"That's…" the mermaid started to tear up again, "… cruel. I know what she did it's not right, but that doesn't give anyone the right to take her baby from her. The baby's not to blame for his mother's mistakes."

"It's not that we like it, but we have no choice. Even Emperor Shaga must obey it if it ever happens to his daughter… I hope not."

Spark's eyes lit up in surprise, "Daughter?"

"Yes. Her name is Artemisia, and remember when I told you that there are only two things the Emperor cares about? Well, those are The Albino and Artemisia."

"Why haven't I met her?"

"Well, the Emperor is… worse than Commander Jaskket in terms of overprotectiveness. She is already sixteen and he hasn't allowed her to tame a shark. He thinks she wouldn't be able to handle it and might get hurt."

"And I thought King Triton was an overprotective father for his daughters…"

Jake sighed and turned to look at Spark. To think she would have shared the newborn's fate if he had not… abandoned her.

"Jake…" Spark whispered

"What is it?"

"If I ever get out of here… If Jaskket ever lets me go…" she looked up at the Sharkanian, "Would you come with me?"

That caught him by surprise.

"W-What do you mean?" he spoke with shock in his voice

"I mean… I'm completely alone in the world, and the only friends I have are Bluetail…" she gave Jake an affectionate look, "… and you. I thought that perhaps you could come with me to Atlantica."

Jake would have teared up if he hadn't learned to control his emotions years ago. This was a lifetime chance; the opportunity of being close to her even if she only saw him as a simple friend… a part of him was reluctant, however. There was the risk she figured out his secret and their blood relation, even though it would be practically impossible for her to even suspect it. HE would be leaving all of his life behind as well…

"I… must think about it. I mean, there are many factors that might get in the way, especially what merfolk think about my race. I don't want to be a bother to you…"

"You're no bother to me!" Spark wrapped her arms around the Sharkanian's build, "I have only known you for two days, but you're the closest thing to a father that I've even known!"

Jake's heart skipped a beat when those words left her lips.

He _really_ needed to think about it.

* * *

Narcissus grimly stared the far edge of Atlantica's territory, and the start of Sharkania's from his black stallion. He just couldn't wait for the day he would have the chance to get his revenge on the monsters that had caused him so much pain. Conveniently, the private named Spark was being held captive; it would be best if she never made it out of there, she had probably found out that the camp he ordered her to infiltrate had never the intentions of attacking Atlantica.

If he was lucky, she'd probably dead by then.


	5. The Offer

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 5- The Offer

Spark woke up with a yawn, rubbed her eyes and noticed there was something in the entrance of her cell: a small wooden chair, and she noticed there was some… clothing? The mermaid swam towards the chair and took the piece of cloth, a blue human shirt, but it had been customized to fit a mermaid. Apparently, the sleeves had been cut and there was a small algae bow tied on one of the end of the cloth. It looked like one of those shirts female humans wore on their upper bodies (crop top); Spark noticed a piece of paper clipped to the shirt.

_Spark, I thought you were getting uncomfortable in that armor, so I brought you something else to wear. Excuse me if I couldn't get anything else, but it's very hard to obtain mermaid seashells in Sharkania. By the way, Emperor Shaga has come to a decision about you, but I'm afraid I won't be present since I have some business elsewhere. But I asked Plummer, a friend of mine, to accompany you and make sure Hookbait won't try anything again. If the Emperor decides to release you, I guess we won't be seeing each other again; if he doesn't, well, see you later._

_Jake._

Spark sighed as she tucked the note away and took off her armor, not before peeking out of her cell to make sure there were no Sharkanians again, especially a Sharkanian with uncontrollable lust and weakness for mermaids. Spark slipped the shirt into her upper body and tucked her father's note safely into one of the pouches of the blouse.

"Sparky, are you done down there?" she heard a voice coming from up above, "I'm not trying to rush you, but the Emperor doesn't like waiting!"

"I'm done!" Spark replied, rolling her eyes.

Plummer swam to the mermaid's cell, opened the door and floated aside so that Spark could swim outside.

"So Emperor Shaga has finally decided what to do with me?"

"Apparently, yes," Plummer replied as he led Spark to the throne room, "In the worst of cases, he can make you a servant or…" the Sharkanian gulped, "Well, I think you shouldn't know the other option."

"I think I don't want to know…"

Plummer let out a chuckle as they swam into the throne room; as always, Emperor Shaga was sitting on his throne, his back turned on them, and his tail wrapped around his seat. Four guards (Hookbait among them) were stationed close to Shaga, ready to protect him if the situation called for it; Spark felt their gazes upon her, and trembled when she heard them snarl at her. She could also spot Commander Jaskket floating next to Emperor Shaga, and the mermaid noticed he looked rather… down. Apparently, he _did_ regret having killed his grandson.

Plummer bowed, and motioned for Spark to do the same, "Your Highness, I've brought the prisoner, as you requested." He was not in the army, but that didn't mean he wasn't obliged to show some etiquette.

"So…" Shaga uncoiled his hark-like tailfin from his seat and swam towards Spark, eyeing her coldly, "This is the little mermaid that came to my kingdom uninvited?"

Spark remained silent as the ruler of Sharkania circled her like a shark waiting for the chance to strike; she had the feeling that one wrong word could cost her life.

"You know, don't think I'm not aware of the little escapade you had with Jake yesterday," Shaga continued, "The next time you try to do that, you should at least try and put a better decoy than a bag stuffed with rocks."

Plummer snickered, but looked down when Shaga gave him a glare. Spark thought the he was angry at her for sneaking out with Jake, but before she could speak, Shaga interrupted her.

"Don't worry, I'm not angry for that. On the contrary, I wouldn't mind if you took a look around here; at least you would realize our race is not as..." Shaga looked away, "… Barbarian as most merfolk think. We might be into warfare, but there's decency in us as well."

"Your Highness…" Spark finally gathered the courage to speak, "With all due respect, I was told you had already decided what to do with me."

"You want to go straight to the point?" Shaga snickered, "I like that. Indeed, I have decided what to do with you. I heard that when you first arrived here, you had a little encounter with my Albino."

The Sharkanian ruler noticed she trembled when he mentioned his mount's name.

"I've decided to give you a choice," he continued, "You can stay here as a prisoner and rot away in that cell for the rest of your life…" a malevolent grim appeared on his lips, "Or you could stay here… and work for me."

That caught everyone present in the room by surprise.

"E-Excuse me?" Spark stuttered

"You can't be serious!" Jaskket immediately swam next to the Emperor, giving him the appropriate bow, "With all due respect, sir, what use could you have of a mermaid? She is skinny and small, there's not much she could be useful for! I doubt she would last five seconds in the army!"

"Hey, for your information-!" before Spark could speak her mind, Plummer panicked and covered her mouth with her hand, smacking her tailfin softly with his own. Shaga set his eyes on her once more.

"Good, she has character." He turned to give Jaskket a small glare, "And I never said she would join the army, I'm aware that she doesn't have the strength nor the experience to be a soldier." Shaga turned to the mermaid once more, "But I bet she's good handling animals; after all, if merfolk can handle giant seahorses, maybe she can deal with sharks."

Spark's heart skipped a beat.

"You want me to…" she gulped, "Take care of your shark?"

Shaga nodded, "You got that right. See, The Albino's last caretaker was, how to put it… his dinner."

"Your Highness, I don't think she'll be capable of that task." Plummer spoke nervously, "Like Jaskket and you yourself said, she is not strong enough, I think The Albino would cause her trouble-" he was interrupted when Spark elbowed him hard on the side, making him whimper in pain.

"But in exchange of what?" she demanded.

"You'd be free to roam Sharkania as you please, and my guards will not lay a fin on you."

Jaskket turned his head around to glare at Hookbait, "That goes for you, Hookbait!"

The Sharkanian guard immediately looked away nervously, not forgetting his experience with the Albino.

"I have a condition." The mermaid stated firmly.

"What is it you want in return for your service?"

"It's not only one condition, but two actually. First, I'd like to stay with Jake as long as I stay here."

Now it was Shaga who was speechless, "Jake? Why would you want to stay with a soldier you don't even know? I imagined you would be smarter than that, girl."

"No disrespect, your Highness, but that is personal."

"I see… and what's your other condition, if I may know?"

"Well… I have a friend, a swordfish named Bluetail… He lives in Atlantica, and I'd like to ask you for permission to go and visit him every now and then, if you don't mind-"

"Not a chance, girl. I can't risk you escaping," Shaga snapped, "He has to _come_ to Sharkania to visit you."

Plummer glanced at the mermaid and gave her a dissimulate nod, which she understood.

"Deal."

"Good. Plummer will take you to the stable, wait for Jake and he'll explain to you how to care for my shark." Before she could swim away, Shaga took her firmly by the arm and squeezed it slightly, narrowing his eyes, "But listen carefully; if I find at least _one_ scratch on my shark, I'll have your head, got it?"

Spark gulped, "Yes, sir."

* * *

Jake scanned the sunken ship cemetery from Jessop's back, as if searching for something. He was no idiot, he knew the swordfish would probably try to sneak into Sharkania to rescue Spark, and the only way to do that was passing through the sunken ships where the wild sharks roamed, and search for a small cavern on the side of the canyon; that cavern led to the torture chamber, located in the palace.

The Sharkanian was also thinking about what Spark had asked him the previous night. Going to Atlantica with her? He would be close to her, like he would have hoped since the day she was born. The merfolk would be terrified of him, but he wouldn't mind as long as he was with his daughter.

Suddenly, Jessop sniffed the water and bared his teeth; Jake patted his head but held the reins tightly.

"What's up, boy?" he whispered, "Is he here?"

The great white snarled in reply. Jake took that as a 'yes' and firmly smacked his shark's flank with his tailfin; Jessop darted out towards the source of the smell while his master led him with the reins to dodge other sharks and the sunken ships' rests.

On the other side of the sunken ship cemetery, Bluetail carefully swam through the wooden boards, making sure there were no sharks around. One bite and he was done for, his blood would attract all the shark population, they would tear him to pieces in seconds. The only places to hide were the holes of the ships, in which he hardly fit, when he sensed he was being followed.

Bluetail stopped when he heard a noise getting louder every second… a tailfin moving against the water. Bluetail dashed behind one of the rocks just as the shadow stopped a few inches away from the rock; the swordfish would have peeked to see what it was, but his nose would give away his location. Not for the first time, Bluetail wished he didn't have such a long snout. After a while, Bluetail managed to get a peek from behind the rock without exposing his ridiculously long and sword-like nose. He saw a Sharkanian soldier with black armor and a red hat dismounting from his shark mount.

Jake looked around for the flash of blue he had spotted ten seconds ago, but it was nowhere to be fond. Jessop would have to track him, although there was the risk the shark teared it to pieces; they were trained for that purpose, in fact. Jake patted his shark's head.

"Jessop, listen carefully," he spoke firmly, "Track the swordfish down, but do _not_ kill him. I need him alive."

Bluetail narrowed his eyes as the shark snorted and bubbles came out of his gills, probably a reply. Jessop sniffed the water and centered his attention towards the rock Bluetail was hiding behind. Bluetail knew it was now or never; he would attack the Sharkanian and force him to sneak him into Sharkania, where we would rescue Spark. Even if the Sharkanian opposed, he would find a way. He would, for Spark. The shark would soon find him anyway.

Jake narrowed his eyes when he felt a shiver going down his spine; for some reason, that 'something-is-wrong-here' sense of his never failed him. It had helped him during times of war, and it was still as precise as ever. He noticed Jessop heading towards a rock next to the galleon, sniffing the water and slowly started to growl.

It happened.

Bluetail swam quickly past Jessop, pointing his saber-like snout at the Sharkanian's chest, closing his eyes shut… only to be pinned down to the ground seconds later. Jake held Bluetail's body firmly against the sand, grabbing the swordfish's nose with his right hand and pinning it down equally. Bluetail struggled violently, whipping his tailfin like a demon. Jessop soon came to aid his master; the swordfish yelped in pain as he felt the shark's teeth dig softly into his skin, pinning him completely, rendering him unable to move. If he struggled any more, the teeth would dig deeper into his skin and make him bleed. Jessop had understood clearly when his rider told him _no_ killing.

"Let me go, you rotten fish!" Bluetail snapped in anger, giving the shark's owner a look.

"Calm down, swordfish!" Jake replied calmly, "I mean no harm, I just want to talk to you." He couldn't recall the swordfish's name yet.

"No harm?! You take my best friend away, you torture her, you have your _pet_ hold me down with his _teeth_, and you dare to say you mean no harm?!"

"Look who's talking! You nearly ran that nose of yours into me!"

"You were looking for me, weren't you?! Well, then finish me off! She'll hate you if you do something to me, and I swear that if you've laid a fin on her, I'm going to-!"

"SHUT UP!" Jake lost his patience and pinned Bluetail's nose to the ground, snarling his teeth, "You _will_ listen to me, no matter if I have to shut your trap by force! I would never harm Spark, she is very important to me!"

"As if!" Bluetail replied in disbelief, "Why would a big, bad Sharkanian like you care for her? All your race does is to kill anything that crosses your path!"

"Have you ever wondered why we have to take such dramatic measures! It's not that we like it all the time, we do have hearts and souls, but when it's about our race's welfare and survival, we have to put those aside! Peace-talking doesn't solve everything, you know!"

"What does Spark have to do in anything?!"

"SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!"

Jake froze in horror and shock, his blood went cold like poison and his heart beat at full speed. Bluetail's look of shock and confusion almost rivaled his, even though he had been angry seconds ago.

"W-what?" he mumbled, "What do you mean?"

Jake closed his eyes as he let out a resignation sigh and let the swordfish's nose go, "Jessop, let him go."

The shark obeyed and lifted its teeth from Bluetail's skin.

"That's impossible!" Bluetail immediately floated up from the sand and gave the Sharkanian, who had turned his back on him, an incredulous look, "She can't be your daughter! She's a mermaid!"

"Her mother was a mermaid…" Jake replied grimly, not taking the bother of turning around, "… the love of my life."

"How can that be? Is Spark an hybrid, then?"

"It's… complicated."

"Well, I have much time to listen."

Knowing the swordfish would not cooperate without an answer, Jake turned his head around and gave Bluetail a sorrowful look.

"Where should I begin?"

* * *

Spark stared at The Albino's cage from the entrance of the stables, watching as it shifted, letting out snores every few seconds. Seriously, Shaga expected her to take care of that monster without getting killed? What was it all about? Plummer was swimming around in worry, not knowing what he would say to Jake about it. He would be angry, that was for sure.

"Why would Jake know how to take care of The Albino?" Spark inquired

"He was his caretaker once, but he had to quit the job after an injury to his chest during a joust. He was lucky, he kept his tailfin intact all the time he took are of The Albino." Plummer explained, recalling the incident.

"How am _I_ going to take care of…" the mermaid pointed a finger at The Albino, "… that?"

"Jake can teach you; the _best_ techniques are passed down by _survivors_."

"Is that a Sharkanian motto?"

"More or less, but it's true. There wouldn't be survivors if it wasn't."

"Where did Jake go, by the way? Did he tell you anything?"

Plummer looked away to hide his nervous face, "No, he didn't…" he trembled as he spoke, he was never a good liar.

"Hey, Plummer…" Spark inquired, swimming closer to the Sharkanian, "… Do you have a shark?"

Plummer's mood enlightened, and he led Spark by the hand through the cages, "I do! I'm lucky, because only the members of the royal family and those who will join the army tame sharks. The only reason I was allowed to tame one was because my father's shark was killed in table, and my father didn't want to tame another one, and since my family is numerous, we needed one."

Spark laughed, "Do you always speak that much, or only when you're excited about something?"

"Here we are!"

Stopping in front of a cage and opening the door, Plummer called out, "Seze! Come here, girl!"

The mermaid hid behind the Sharkanian's back when a female great white slowly swam out of the cage; she was apparently slightly smaller than Jessop, perhaps because she was much younger. Her eyes were an aqua-blue, and she had a darker gray tone than most sharks. Seze also had a few black spots on her back and around her eyes.

"Oh, here you are, Seze!" Plummer wrapped his arms around his shark's neck, who liked his face playfully in return, "Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?"

Spark trembled when the female shark became aware of her presence and swam back when she snapped her teeth before Plummer stopped her.

"No, no, no, Seze! She's daddy's friend, so don't put a tooth on her!" he spoke softly, then turned to look at Spark, "Sorry about that, it's just that she doesn't like strangers. Well, actually, all sharks dislike strangers and won't allow anyone but their master to ride on their backs. Believe me, I learned it the hard way when I was a child."

Spark let out a sigh of dismay; it would be harder than she thought.

* * *

"That's sad…" Bluetail commented, his anger and suspicious having cooled down after listening to Jake's story, "I never thought a Sharkanian would be able to sacrifice that… No offense."

Jake sighed as he leaned against Jessop's back (the shark had rested behind his master to wait until he was needed again), looking up, "I promised her mother I would protect Spark as much as I could, that's why I had to leave her at Saltwater's steps. She would be safe from my people's laws against children born out of wedlock."

"Out of wedlock? You mean you and Odette didn't marry?"

Jake shook his head, "We couldn't, there was not a priest who would marry a mermaid and a Sharkanian. We didn't marry by the heavenly law, we married by our love. We swore to be faithful to each other, and that was enough for us."

"I see… But does Sparky know it?"

"NO!" Jake suddenly rose, startling Bluetail, "And you must _not_ tell her! It will shatter her entire life, and that's the least thing I want. Besides…" he looked away, "… she would despise me for abandoning her."

"I… I understand…" Bluetail sighed, "She will not know it from me, you have my word."

"Thank you."

"But why were you looking for me?"

"See, Spark has been held captive for three days, and I was hoping you and I could help me in getting her out of there."

"What a coincidence! I was precisely going to Sharkania to rescue her! But how will I get there unnoticed?"

Jake took a look at Jessop, who had fallen asleep by then, and noticed a rope lay on the sand a few meters away from them. A grin drew on his face, "I think I have an idea."

* * *

The Sharkanian soldiers guarding the entrance to Sharkosia saluted as Jake rode his shark through the city gates, and glanced at an apparently dead blue swordfish on the shark's back, behind its dorsal fin, held in place with a rope. Bluetail opened one of his eyes slightly to look around, and satisfactorily noted the guards didn't notice he was breathing.

Jake was rather surprised to find Spark in the entrance to the stables, along with Plummer, who was scratching his female shark's belly playfully; seriously, if he didn't stop pampering that shark, she would end up unfit for war.

"Jake, you're back!" Spark cheerfully swam towards the Sharkanian before he could dismount, but froze when she saw a familiar blue swordfish on Jessop's back.

"Don't worry, he's not dead, he's faking," the Sharkanian whispered to her ear, "We had to do that to sneak him here."

Spark sighed in relief as Jake dismounted and led Jessop inside the stables, made sure there were no more guards around and used his short spear to cut the ropes holding Bluetail in place, not bothering to have someone hold him, and the swordfish floated down rather abruptly. Bluetail could barely repress a grunt, but forgot about it when he felt his beloved mermaid's arms wrap around him.

"Bluetail!" she cried in joy, holding him close, "You're here! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I'm happy too, Sparky, but let's save it for later," Bluetail swam up and looked around, "We have to figure how to get out of here without anyone noticing!"

Plummer gulped, having finally joined the others inside the stables with Seze, "Actually, there's a major problem with that…"

Jake felt a shiver, "What do you mean 'major problem?'"

Spark sighed, "Remember when you said Emperor Shaga had already taken a decision about me?"

"Yes…"

The mermaid looked at Plummer, who nodded, and she sighed. "He decided to make me The Albino's caretaker, and I had to accept."

Jake froze for the second time in that day; Plummer tapped both Bluetail and Spark's shoulders, and motioned them to cover their ears before covering his. Just as they covered their ears, Jake finally reacted.

"WHAAAT?!"


	6. How To Train Your Shark

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 6- How To Train Your Shark

"Plummer, why didn't you say anything?!" Jake yelled in anger, making his friend shiver nervously, "You realize she's in great trouble, don't you?!"

Jake was completely hysterical, which rarely happened; he was always a calm, cool-headed Sharkanian, he rarely got angry over anything, and when he did he never made such a ruckus about it. This time, however, it was his daughter involved, so it was natural for him. After all, it was the first time he was actually able to worry for her and do something about it. Spark and Bluetail (and both Jessop and Seze as an extension) simply floated aside, watching as Jake paced around the stable.

"Calm down, Jakey!" Plummer held up his hands in defense, "What was I supposed to say? It was either that, or stay as a prisoner for the rest of your life!"

"But The Albino?! You know that shark is a beast, she won't last five seconds!"

"On the bright side, the swordfish will be able to visit her, she can roam Sharkania freely and she'll be staying with us-"

"WHAT?!"

Spark felt hurt when he reacted that way, "Am I such a bother…?"

"No, no, no!" Jake turned to look at her, "It's not that, you're no bother to me! You're welcome in my home, in fact, it's just that I'm not used to having a… mermaid around since a long time."

"Since the mermaid you fell in love with?"

Jake felt a squirming in his heart, "Yes."

"Well, then there's nothing more to say!" Plummer grinned as he wrapped around Jake's shoulder, "Sparky will be staying with us, Bluetail can visit her wherever he wants and Sparky will be The Albino's caretaker! Everyone is happy!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Us?" Bluetail raised an eyebrow, "You live… together?"

Jake groaned in dismay as took his palm to his forehead, "As awkward as it sounds, yes, we live together. We've been sharing the same home for five years."

"Anyway, Jake, how am I going to take care of that Albino?" Spark inquired, pulling the Sharkanian to the door of the white shark's door, "I mean, I've taken care of seahorses, but sharks? I'm not precisely an expert."

Jake sighed in defeat, "There are three things you must have in mind when taking care of a shark: clean its cage, brush its teeth and feed him. Most sharks are easy to handle, but _him_," Jake pointed at the Albino, who growled in return, "He is incontrollable. You already know this, but The Albino is only docile with Emperor Shaga, he sees everyone else as dinner."

"Speaking of dinner, I think it's already his time to eat." Plummer spoke up, noticing how the Albino was staring expectantly at them, as if waiting for something, "You better hurry, Sparky, if he doesn't eat he becomes crankier than usual."

Spark nodded, "What do sharks eat?"

"Most sharks eat fish meat, but The Albino has more… refined tastes," Jake continued explaining, "He prefers the rare taste of seagull meat."

"S-Seagull?"

"I'm afraid so, he won't eat anything else."

"Seriously? How do you get the seagull meat?" Bluetail inquired

"We have to go to the surface to hunt them, but it's very hard to catch them by surprise. Luckily, there's some seagull meat left, I'll get it."

Jake swam away, taking leading Jessop to his cage while he was on it. Spark kept staring at the Albino's curled figure, and the shark kept staring expectantly at her. Apparently, he already knew his feeding time. Bluetail swam next to the mermaid with a smile and rubbed his head against her.

"I missed you so much, Spark," he spoke softly, "I was already fearing you had been killed."

Spark smiled and wrapped her arms around Bluetail's neck, "I missed you too, Blue!"

"What happened in the three days you spent here?"

"Well, I was in a cell, but Jake snuck me out once to hang around Sharkosia. I've got to admit, Sharkanians are not as cold-hearted as everyone says, you just have to get to know them better."

"Jake told me something similar when we met; he said Sharkanians sometimes have to put their humanity aside for the welfare of their race."

"Here it is!" Jake swam to the front of The Albino's cage, carrying a large piece of seagull meat on his arms, "Spark, be careful. I'm afraid you'll have to feed him yourself, that way he'll know you're his caretaker, but that doesn't mean he won't try to bite your arm off."

"How do I feed him without losing my extremities?" Spark inquired as she took the large piece of meat from Jake, almost falling due to its weight.

"Just enter, place the meat a few steps in front of him and swim out as quickly as you can, but do _not_ get too close to his mouth. I learned it the hard way when I was his caretaker," Jake blushed, remembering the first time he fed The Albino.

Plummer commented, "You should have seen his expression, it was priceless!" He let out a whine when Jake elbowed him hard on the sides.

Spark gulped as she opened the cage and swam inside, fearfully swimming closer to the giant shark. The Albino sensed fear emanating from his new caretaker, and amusingly let out a snarl, making her jump back; the shark would have laughed if he could. When she was a few steps away from the Albino, she quickly put the meat in front of him and dashed out of the cage as the shark took the piece of meat with his teeth and swallowed it whole.

"That shark is evil!" Spark yelled as soon as she closed The Albino's cage.

"Now you realize?" Bluetail rolled his eyes

"And you have to brush his teeth when he is done eating," Plummer added, "Speaking of which, my stomach is already complaining, so I guess I'll see you later guys," saying this, Plummer swam out of the stables.

Spark was completely speechless, "Brush his teeth? Seriously? What's next?"

Jake sighed, "This is really dangerous, most of his caretakers were injured when they brushed his teeth," he explained, "You have to brush them one by one, and clean all of the excessive debris from his meal, especially the feathers left on the seagull meat. The Albino already knows that his teeth are brushed after eating, so he'll open his mouth when you enter with the brush. But do not touch his gums, he hates that, it tickles him."

Jake handed the mermaid a large brush, similar to the brushes mermaids used for their hair, but this one was big and thick. Spark gulped for about the fifth time that day and opened the cage, watching as The Albino opened his mouth, expecting to have his sharp rows of teeth brushed…

* * *

"Is everything ready for the Sharkanians visit, Narcissus? I wouldn't like another misunderstanding with Emperor Shaga," King Triton asked his commander for the third time.

Every once in a while, King Triton and Emperor Shaga had to meet personally to renegotiate the treaty; sometimes King Triton and his guards went to Sharkania, other times Emperor Shaga went to Atlantica. This time, it was the Sharkanians' turn to go to Atlantica, and apparently, princess Artemisia would probably accompany her father this time, and since Triton knew how much she meant to Shaga, took all the precautions so that nothing would happen to her.

"The chambers for our guests are ready, your majesty," Narcissus replied, "But is it really necessary for them to come over? You know the citizens' opinion of… Sharkanians."

"I know, but it's time to let hostilities aside. My ambassadors barely managed to get the Sharkanians go sign the treaty, I have no intentions of risking that treaty. I'm sure the citizens will eventually warm up to the Sharkanians."

"What about your daughters, you Majesty?" Narcissus chose his words carefully, "I mean, most of your daughters have rarely had any contact with the Sharkanians, but what about Ariel? She has spoiled their past schemes to destroy our kingdom, do you not fear they may attempt to take revenge on her?"

Triton shook his head, "I know Ariel and the Sharkanians are not precisely on good terms with each other, but I'm sure they'll be able to put those aside as long as they stay here. The Sharkanians have already come many times, and they haven't done anything against any of my daughters, so I have nothing to fear this time neither."

Narcissus bow at his king, "I understand, your Majesty. I'll send a messenger to Sharkania to inform Emperor Shaga that we're ready for the peace talks."

The commander swam away from the king with a grim expression in his face. Probably, _he_ would be among the Sharkanians who accompanied Shaga, he always was. Soon he would have his revenge on the Sharkanian for stealing _her _from him…

* * *

Jake attempted to contain himself from smacking Plummer to stop him his laughter; he was carrying an unconscious Spark on his arms, the mermaid had fainted when she accidently brushed one of The Albino's gums, and (miraculously) he did not try to chomp her arm, but preferred to roar at her, and the Sharkanians would never forget the amused look on the Albino's face as Spark fainted from fright. Bluetail had to return to Atlantica, but promised to visit Spark when he could.

"The look on her face! I can't believe it!" he could barely speak as he wiped a tear of hysteria from his eye, but yelped when Jake couldn't contain it any longer and smacked his friend's tailfin with his own.

"It's not funny! She almost got a heart attack!" he hissed, looking down at the mermaid in worry.

"I admit, I'm surprised The Albino just roared at her, he almost killed his other caretakers when they brushed his gums by accident. Perhaps he took a liking to her."

"The Albino?" Jake rolled his eyes, "I would rather believe Hookbait wants to enter in a serious relationship with a female! The only Sharkanian he actually likes is Emperor Shaga!"

"Hey, Jakey, taking advantage that Sparky is unconscious and she probably isn't listening… Are you sure about-?!"

"FOR THE THOUSANDTH-!" Jake closed his eyes shut for a moment, trying not to raise his voice, and whispered angrily, "For the thousandth time, I won't! She can't know!"

Plummer sighed disappointingly, "I just hope you won't regret it."

The rest of the way, the Sharkanians were silent. Unbetsknown to Plummer, Jake had actually been considering telling Spark all the truth, but he didn't dare to hurt her that way. The few times he had managed to catch a glimpse of her, he had often seen her interacting with sharks without any kind of fright. In fact, she sharks themselves were always docile towards her, sensing her Sharkanian blood, and some might go as far as to play with her. He had watched her play with sharks when she was five, but there was one time he had directly interacted with her, although she had probably no idea of it…

* * *

_Jake watched his little Spark sadly watching the other merchildren playing with algae balls. She had tried to play with them once, but they never let her play, they all thought of her as a 'weirdo', as they put it. Not for the first time, he had wished to go and defend his daughter, but he had swore he would never let Spark know of her Sharkanian heritage. The head of Saltwater, a mermaid named Sky, had taken the merchildren on a short fieldtrip, letting them play outside Atlantica, under the watch of a few guards. Jake was hiding in a long algae bush, not too far from the merchildren, but not too close to them, he knew what the guards would do to him if they spotted him._

_Jake noticed Spark was hugging a medium-sized plush shark of metallic blue and white tones. It was a gift from him, for the merchild's third birthday; he had bought it on Sharkania, then he snuck to Atlantica and silently swam inside Spark's room through her window, leaving the shark plush next to her before leaving. Apparently, she loved it dearly. _

_The Sharkanian's blood started to boil when he saw another merchild, a girl with blonde hair tied on two ponytails and a solid yellow tailfin, snatched the shark-plush from Spark and swam away quickly, Spark in hot pursuit. His anger was fueled when the other merchildren joined the blonde mergirl, throwing the shark to one another when Spark attempted to recover it. He clenched his fists, wishing with all his might to go and defend his daughter. _

_His heart started to beat when one of the merchildren, the one who was holding the shark-plush, swam dangerously close to the underwater cliff; Spark finally managed to tackle the merboy and snatch the shark-plush back, but in doing she knocked her head on a small rock and lost consciousness, and she fell from the edge of the cliff, holding the plush in her arms tightly._

"_SPARK!" Jake couldn't contain it any longer._

_He swam like a bullet towards Spark's small figure, not caring if the guards saw him. He shook his tailfin like never before and narrowed his eyes because of the feeling of the water pressure against his face. He managed to catch the mergirl on his arms, and quickly swam back to a small algae forest near the edge of the cliff. _

_Once safely on the edge of the forest, Jake looked down at his daughter's small figure on his arms, remembering when he first held her in his arms as a newborn. He looked around and saw Sky's figure coming closer to the algae forest, calling out worryingly for Spark; reluctantly, the Sharkanian gently placed his daughter on the ground, where Sky would spot her. Before leaving, he kissed Spark's cheek gently._

"_See you later, Sparky."_

* * *

Jake returned to the present as he and Plummer arrived to their home; a sunken ships, like most buildings in Sharkosia, but was very comfortable inside (on Sharkanian standards, at least). The two Sharkanians swam inside into the living room, decorated with weapons and wooden furniture made from the ships' old wooden planks. Plummer let out a yawn, showing his sharp, triangular teeth.

"I'm going to sleep, Jakey," he announced, swimming towards his bedchamber, "You should do the same. Speaking of which, where is Sparky going to sleep?"

"In my room," Jake replied, "I'm going to sleep on the couch."

"Your room? Are you sure? There are other rooms much more comfortable for her…"

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch, Plum," Jake smiled a little, "Besides, Sparky needs some rest after what happened with The Albino today."

Plummer accepted the answer and swam to his bedchambers, stretching his body on his way there. Jake swam towards his room, located on the upper corridors of the ship. He opened a door leading to his bedchamber, a medium-sized room with a rather worn-out human bed and a few wooden furniture, including night desks. Jake gently placed Spark on his bed, and covered her with the blanket; she looked so peaceful when she slept… the Sharkanian caressed Spark's wavy hair softly, careful not to awake her, and swam out of his room.

He needed to ask Plummer for a pillow and a blanket.


	7. Preparations

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 7- Preparations

**Announcement: I've made up a poll about how Sparky finds out Jake is her father, those interested can find it in my profile page.**

**And so, on with the chapter.**

* * *

"Her father is a Sharkanian…?" Sky whispered somberly, flicking her tailfin lightly, "That would explain lots of things…"

Bluetail had paid Sky a visit after returning to Atlantica, he had promised her he would inform her what had become of Spark, and she couldn't believe Shaga had actually put her to take care of his shark. And according to Bluetail's descriptions of The Albino, he seemed to be a very vicious shark. But what caught her by surprise was when Bluetail told her that the Sharkanian that had been looking after, Jake, was her father.

"Believe me, I didn't believe it at first neither," Bluetail replied as he shifted in his seat, back on Sky's terrace, "I mean, Spark doesn't look like him at all… but I admit the color of her tailfin is quite similar to his."

"And that explains why the sharks that roamed around here never attacked her," Sky sighed, "I always had my heart in my throat every time she snuck out of Atlantica to see sharks."

"But listen carefully, Spark can't find out about this. Jake thinks she won't take it kindly, and sincerely, I agree."

"I don't quite agree with that," Sky commented, "She has the right to know who her parents are."

"Are you kidding? What would you do if out of sudden you found out your father is a Sharkanian and you're a hybrid? Besides, I gave him my word, so I won't be the one to spill the beans."

"I still think we should tell her the truth-"

"NO!" Bluetail raised the volume of his voice, but soon regretted when he saw Sky's startled expression, "Sorry for that, but listen to me. I don't want to hurt Spark nor break my promise to Jake, try to understand. Just imagine it, what would she do if she found out? She'd probably be angry at Jake and, on extension, me, since I was an accomplice in the secret."

"I…" Sky hesitated for a moment before looking up at the swordfish's eyes, "You're right. I won't say anything to anyone about this, especially Spark."

"Thank you."

"I just hope what you're doing, Blue."

Bluetail sighed, "Me too, Sky. Me too."

* * *

"Hear me, Albino!" Spark spoke firmly to the white shark, who was eyeing her in annoyance, "You don't like me, and let's make it clear that I _don't _like you! But we must at least learn to tolerate each other, because, let's face it, you need me! I'm the one who's going to feed you and brush your teeth! So if you want me to do it at all, you better start behaving!"

Jake and Plummer stared amusingly at Spark's lecture. They knew she was stubborn, but this was ridiculous; it was the first time in years that someone had the nerve to talk to the Albino like that. The white shark wasn't listening to her, anyway.

"Seriously, Sparky, you shouldn't be doing that," Plummer commented, "He's going to take it against you."

"Come on, it's not like he is smart enough to take grudges against someone, is he?"

Jake sighed, "You have no idea, he's smarter than he looks. "

"Just wait, in his feeding time he is going to be a pain in the ass."

Spark sighed in dismay, "Of all the sharks in here, Shaga had to make me take care precisely of _him_," she pointed at the white shark, who snorted in irritation, "How did Shaga tame him at all, anyway?! I imagine that The Albino was even more aggressive than he is now, I suppose."

"We don't know what happened," Jake explained, "We were not present when Emperor Shaga first went to tame a his own mount, but we were surprise and, "he lowered his tone, "Inward terrified when we saw that he was mounting a white shark, larger and fiercer than any we had ever seen."

"The Albino had those scars when Shaga tamed him or did he gain him somehow?"

"He gained them during a fight with a wild shark when the Emperor had taken Artemisia for her first ride. After that incident, Emperor Shaga never wanted Artemisia going near a wild shark."

The sound of a door opening caught the attention of the trio, and Jake and Plummer remained silent when Commander Jaskket swam into the stables, apparently having overcome his guilt, and his usual cold exterior was back. He spoke to Spark in an intimidating tone.

"Get the Albino ready, we're heading out to Atlantica tomorrow," he told her, making her jump.

"S-Sure," Spark replied coldly, but she couldn't stop trembling as much as she wanted, "Anything else?"

Jaskket couldn't help it, but this mermaid reminded him a little of his daughter, Sapphire, but he didn't show it. Instead, he simply muttered something under his breath and swam away with Spark's eyes set on him. Spark looked back at Jake for instructions, and he swam close to the cage door.

"First, you have to saddle him up and tighten the girths, then you have to put him the bridle on," he explained, "But after the lecture you gave him, he's going to make it harder for you."

"I'll bring you his things," Plummer swam away from the two, not wanting to feel the Albino's ire.

"I can't believe it! We're going to Atlantica!" Spark's mood enlightened up, "I suppose it's for a few days, right?"

Jake nodded, "Indeed. We're staying in Atlantica for a few days to renew the peace treaty, but this is the first time Princess Artemisia is actually accompanying her father.

"She has never gone out of Sharkania?"

"No, remember what I told you a few days ago about her father being very overprotective of her. I don't even know how she managed to convince him this time. In fact, I'm surprised Emperor Shaga is not bringing the entire army this time-"

Jake quickly became silent and swam a few steps back, grabbing Spark's hand and pulling her along as he did so. The mermaid was confused for a while before turning around and spotting a female Sharkanian swimming into the stables, and stared into The Albino's cage. Much to Spark's shock, the white shark simply stared at the female Sharkanian, not giving her a growl or a snap of his teeth.

The female Sharkanian was about one year older than Spark, but she was of about the same height. She had straight, long platinum red hair reaching her waist, and there were black seashells adorning her breast. Her tailfin was horizontal and shark-like, like all Sharkanians', and her arms were delicate-looking, even though she was stronger than she looked. A dark blue line ran down her back and tailfin, like her father's.

Spark didn't need to ask who that was.

"That's princess Artemisia," Jake whispered as low as he could into the mermaid's ear, "She's friendly, but don't make her angry. You won't like it, believe me. I'm afraid Emperor Shaga passed his temper down to her."

"Hey there, Albino." Artemisia gave the white shark a small smile, "How have you been?"

The Albino snorted, bubbles emerging from his gills and floating in the ceiling as a reply; Spark saw Artemisia holding out something- some kind of food, apparently a treat. To her shock, The Albino started wagging his tailfin and a grin appeared on his face, giving him an almost playful look.

"Here, I brought you the seagull liver you like so much," Artemisia spoke, not noticing the disgusted look on Spark's face, "Just don't tell father, will you?"

"Hey, I thought you said The Albino was only docile towards Shaga," Spark whispered to Jake as she saw Artemisia throw the organ to the white shark.

"She's his daughter," the Sharkanian explained, "practically, Emperor Shaga's blood runs through her veins."

Artemisia turned to look at the mermaid and the Sharkanian, and waved at them, "See you later, Jake."

Jake did the mandatory respect bow, "See you later, princess."

As the Sharkanian princess swam away, Spark turned to look at Jake, "What were you saying about blood? What does that have to do with anything?"

"See, have you noticed sharks are very sensitive to blood?" Jake spoke, and continued after Spark nodded, "Well, merfolk don't know this, but sharks are also sensitive to blood inside our bodies, that's how they can recognize their riders. Even a blind sharks will be able to recognize its master."

"As for you question, Princess Artemisia is Emperor Shaga's daughter, so obviously she carries his blood; The Albino can sense it because the scent of her blood is the same as Emperor Shaga's. If she wasn't his daughter, The Albino would have the same attitude towards her as he has towards everyone else. That's how we can tell if our wives cheated on us."

Spark couldn't help but laugh at the last comment and didn't realize she had floated back to the Albino's cage,; The Albino, back to his terrible mood, rattled against the bars with his tailfin, intending to startle the mermaid. However, she was already accustomed to the white shark's attempts to scare the heck out of her, and paid him no heed.

"Thanks for the help, you know!" Plummer's voice resounded through the stables, and Spark saw him swimming back to them, holding a red-colored saddle, bridle, and various other things, "Don't worry, I'm just carrying about five hundred pounds of things, you can ignore me if you want."

Jake rolled his eyes at Plummer's sarcasm, "Stop being such a crybaby, Plummer!"

Spark ignored the bickering Sharkanians and set her eyes on The Albino once more, and she swore she could see a glint of mischief in his eyes.

This would be a _long_ night.

* * *

**I know this chap was rather short, but I'm busy with school and I haven't had time to work on my stories. But I'll do longer chapters, I promise.**


	8. Tortured Memories

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 8- Tortured Memories

"That girl…" Shaga muttered under his breath as he massaged his temples, "I don't know where she got it from… her mother was never so capricious…"

"Your highness?"

The Sharkanian Emperor turned around from his seat and spotted Jake floating a few steps away, holding his trademark spear in both his hands, "The Albino is ready, but Spark doesn't have a way of keeping up with us." He explained

Shaga didn't take the bother to look at the soldier, "Then take her with you in your shark. I don't care; just don't bother me right now. I'm not in the mood to deal with that."

The soldier bowed, "As you wish, your Highness."

Having accomplished his task, Jake turned around to leave, but froze when he heard the Emperor's voice again, "Jake."

Sensing the Emperor wanted to talk with the soldier in private, the rest of the present guards, Jaskket included, left the throne room, leaving Shaga and Jake alone.

"D-Did I do something wrong, your Highness?" Jake gulped

"She is your daughter, isn't she?"

Jake's blood went cold, his heart started racing and time seemed to stop for him; the Emperor knew it, that was it. But it wouldn't hurt to try and get the idea out of his head, would it?

"W-What are you talking about, your Highness?" the soldier trembled, but tried to dissimulate, "She is a mermaid, she cannot be my daughter."

"You can't fool me, Jake. She has many of your traits, not only the color of her tailfin. I figured it out when you first brought her here and asked to have her under your care. And as for her heritage, I don't need to be an expert to realize she is half-mermaid, half-Sharkanian. If she were a normal mermaid, I wouldn't have put her to care for my Albino. "

Knowing his secret was out, Jake pleaded, "Please, your Highness! Don't harm her! She means everything to me! She is all I have!"

"I never said I would lay a fin on her, did I?" Shaga replied calmly, "Personally, I have nothing against half-bloods, even though I know you and that mermaid girlfriend of yours were not married. That's why you had to give her away, didn't you?"

By then, Jake had tears rolling down his cheeks in pain, he couldn't contain it, all of his words were reopening wounds in his heart he thought had already healed, "I had no other choice…" he whispered, "If I had kept her, she would have…"

"You don't need to continue," Shaga interrupted him again, "I know the law, my great-grandfather was the one who put it, after all. Besides, she would have been seen as a freak if she stayed here; after all, she takes more after her mother than you, Jake."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Emperor Shaga," Jake spoke up, having regained his self-control, "But what is the purpose of this talk?"

"I wanted to ask you for... advice," the Sharkanian Emperor turned to give Jake a glare, "But say anything about this to anyone and I'll have you fed to the Albino."

"Why would you need my advice, your Highness?"

"It's… Artemisia. I don't know what to do with her anymore; she just won't listen to me. I just don't understand what's wrong with her, she never was so rebellious when she was small. I tell her not to do something, and she does it anyway. I don't know if she does it on purpose to make me angry or if she simply doesn't care."

"What can I say, your Highness?" Jake fiddled with his spear, "I didn't have the chance to raise Spark, so I wouldn't know what to tell you. But maybe growing up without her mother affected her very much."

Shaga closed his eyes at the mention of his late wife. She had died when a human ship crushed her to death on a rock when Artemisia was just two years old, so his daughter only had a few memories of her. But he recalled that moment very well; after the ship sank after crashing against the rock where she had been, he had rushed to her side and taken his beloved wife in his arms. But she didn't last more than a few minutes, after which she made him promise he would always protect their child, then she died in his arms.

It was the only time in years he actually cried.

"Maybe you're right…" the Emperor finally spoke with a solemn tone, "She's a girl, after all. I don't even want to remember the hell I went through when I was supposed to give her 'The Talk'."

"That's not all, your Highness," Jake continued, "I know you just want to protect her, but she is no longer a child. She is already sixteen, and she hasn't tamed a shark yet, as customary. Besides, if you spent more time with her, perhaps she would open up to you. That's all she needs, your Highness. She needs her father, she needs you…"

The room became silent for what seemed an eternity, until Shaga broke the silence, "You are free to go."

Jake gave the customary bow before swimming away silently, once again losing control of his emotions.

* * *

Jessop was asleep when he heard his cage being opened and his master swam in, climbed up on the saddle and made the shark swim at top speed, out of the stables and out of Sharkosia, to the no-fish's land. It was neither in Sharkanian nor Atlantican territory, the few places where Sharkanians and merfolk could meet up and not be at each other's throats. After a while, when they came to a sunken galleon in the middle of those wastelands, Jake pulled his shark's reins violently, making him brake abruptly, and swam off the shark's back, into the galleon.

Once there, he broke into tears.

Jessop heard his rider's sobbing and grew worried; after all, his master was not the kind of Sharkanian who would shed tears unless it was for a very good reason. Jessop slowly swam inside the galleon and spotted his master kneeled on the wooden ground, his forearms on the ground and his hands clenched into fists. The shark let out a purring-like noise from his throat and gently nuzzled his master's side, as if asking him what was wrong.

Jake reacted by the touch of his shark, and managed to calm down for a little while, sitting down and leaning against the wall; Jessop proceeded to nuzzle Jake's cheek with his large snout playfully in an attempt to cheer him up, like when he was little. Jake had not the heart to smile, but he lifted his arm and petted his shark's head softly.

"You're always trying to make me smile, aren't you, Jess?" he chuckled humorlessly, "

Jake took his attention off his shark and looked around the galleon's interior; it brought him so many memories… it had been where he and Odette had been staying while her pregnancy lasted, and where his daughter had been born. He could still recall when he first held her in his arms…

_Jake couldn't breath._

_Despite being in his element, he felt as if he was drowning. Odette was dead, he could do nothing for her; when she entered labor, there was a complication, and he learned it was either the baby or her. Upon insistence of Odette, the doctor, a long time mermaid friend of hers named Katara, had to perform an emergency c-session on the pregnant mermaid, effectively saving the baby, but killing Odette in the process. _

_He was on the other room, on the bed he and his beloved wife had shared for the past months; there was a thunderstorm on the surface, which made the mood even worse for him. Finally, after waiting for a long time, almost like hours, Katara swam into the room with a bundle in her arms._

"_Jake?" she spoke softly_

_The Sharkanian looked up at her, "What is it?"_

_Katara offered him the bundle with a sad smile, "Congratulations, you have a healthy new daughter."_

_He panicked, "Wait! No, no, no… I don't know if I'm ready to-"_

_The bundle was in his arms before he knew it. Katara swam back and gently pushed his arms back so that the baby was pulled closer to his chest._

"_Just hold her close to you. That's it. That way she feels safe. She isn't really used to the idea of the outside world yet."_

_Jake removed the blanket covering his daughter's face, and was amazed when he stared into the face of a newborn mermaid. The newborn had almost the same tone of hair as her mother, and her tailfin was a strong dark metallic blue, like his. But other than that, she looked like a complete mermaid._

"_What's her name?"_

"_I…" Jake didn't get his eyes off his newborn, "I haven't thought of it."_

_Katara sighed, "Think about it, I'm going to prepare Odette's body to bury her, if you don't mind." She gave the Sharkanian an apologetic stare and swam out._

_Before he knew it, he was left alone with a tiny baby in his arms. Jake paced a moment, then sank down on the bed. He gently stroked her little cheek in hopes that she might open her eyes._

_They both jumped when she startled at the touch. He panicked when she crunched up her little face and began to cry. Unsure of what to do, he gently bounced her to let her know someone was holding her. Her features gradually softened into silence again. Slowly but surely, her little eyes opened just enough for him to take a peek. He couldn't help but smile upon seeing that they were a beautiful sapphire blue._

"_Hello there, little one."_

_The baby stretched like she understood, and made one of the sweetest cooing noises he had ever heard. He chuckled and pulled the blanket tighter around her as tears rolled down his cheeks, "It's nice to meet you too."_

_Suddenly, a thunder roared out of the blue, startling the baby, who started to cry hysterically even after the echoing was long gone. Jake grew nervous and he held the baby even closer to him._

"_Sh-sh-sh-sh,"he lulled her softly, "Please do not cry, my little one. It breaks my heart to see you crying. Your daddy is here…"_

_The baby let out a few more sobs before falling into slumber once again. Just then, Katara swam into the room with a sorrowful look to her._

"_So, have you thought of the name yet?"_

_Jake looked down at his sleeping daughter and replied as he caressed her cheek gingerly, "… Her name is Spark."_

Jake returned to reality with a sigh, tears still rolling down his cheeks. Although one of his fondest memories, it made him remember that Odette was gone and his daughter didn't know he was her father or that she was half-Sharkanian. He had vowed he would never let her know, but he was starting to doubt, after all, he did want Spark to call him 'daddy', but he was afraid of her reaction to the revelation.

But he couldn't take it any longer, he didn't have the strength to keep the secret any longer. He would find the best moment to tell Spark the truth… and pray she would not despise him.

When Jessop nuzzled against him again, Jake realized it was getting late. And he would need every bit of energy the next day, when they would go to Atlantica.

Besides, he needed to tell Spark she would be riding with him.

* * *

Merfolk swam into their homes, closed windows and doors shut and closed their curtains when they sensed the time was coming closer. Parents called their children into their homes, fish swam away into hiding and even the guards seemed to have a nervous air around them.

Sky was the only one who was peeking from the window of her office, waiting for the Sharkanians to arrive. She knew that most of the children were probably hidden under their beds in case a Sharkanian 'wanted to eat them', despite her insistence that Sharkanians don't eat merfolk… always.

Finally, she saw the familiar shapes of the sharks, and closed her curtain slightly; the least she needed was the Sharkanians spotting her. She first saw Emperor Shaga passing by riding the Albino, with Artemisia sitting behind him, having no mount herself. He was followed by various soldiers riding on sharks of different colors varying from gray to metallic blue; commander Jaskket's shark was a large male, although not as large as the Albino, with a grayish brown color, sandy underbelly and a few tiger stripes on its back. Sky then spotted Jake riding on Jessop, with an awkward-looking Spark sitting on his lap.

Sky sighed slightly, "To think that he is her father…" she whispered

Spark looked around Atlantica's empty streets, trying to spot someone peeking their heads from the window, to no avail. Bluetail was probably at the palace, waiting to see her, and she wished to pay him a visit as well.

"Is it always so empty or only when we come?" Jake whispered into her ear in curiosity.

"Only when you come, or when there's a cold current passing by." Spark replied.

"You two!" Jaskket made his shark brake to speak at the pair, "Stop talking until we get to the palace, would you?"

"Whatever you say, urchin." Spark looked away in annoyance, crossing her arms and earning a shocked stare from Jaskket.

"What did you just call me?" he hissed dangerously.

"Urchin, because that's what you are.!"

Jaskket clenched his fists in anger, but decided to take care of her in other occasion, "I'll deal with you later."

Jake gave the mermaid a shocked stare, "What was that all about?" he whispered

"I just put him in place." Spark muttered coldly, "I do not like him."

"You realize you just signed a death wish in blood, don't you?"

Spark gave the Sharkanian a confident stare, "He wouldn't dare."


	9. The Challenge

The Mermaid and The Beast

Chapter 9- The Challenge

After arriving at Atlantica, Spark wasn't able to join the rest of the Sharkanians, since she had to take all of the sharks to the stables by herself, since Jake wasn't allowed to accompany her. It was a complete pain in the neck, especially since most of the sharks (minus Jessop) didn't know her. Besides, the head of the Atlantican stables, an old merman named Buck with a blue tailfin and white hair and moustache, had to help her put the sharks in a place where they would not be too close to the seahorses. After instructing her how to tie them, he left to tend to the seahorses.

After finally tying the last shark to the mast, Spark floated down to the sand to get a well-deserved rest. Most of the sharks rested to rest from their journey, but the Albino didn't; it seemed that even the sharks feared and respected him, for they all rested away from him. Spark grew irritated when she noticed the Albino was staring at her in an expectant way.

"What?" She inquired, "Don't tell me you're hungry, you ate an hour ago!"

The Albino snorted in reply, and started chewing on his mast, then attempted to pull away from it before turning to look at the mermaid. Spark realized what he wanted.

"Oh, no, no!" she immediately swam up, "No way! I'm so not letting you lose! Emperor Shaga will kill me if I do that!"

The Albino kept chewing his mast, trying to cut his reins loose to no avail. Apparently, these days he didn't get out of his cage much, and when he did he wanted to enjoy every second of it. Spark just stared as the monstrous shark pulled, chewed and even went as far to slam his tailfin against the mast to try and break free.

"Hard work, isn't it?"

Spark didn't turn around; Jake sat down next to her, having finally managed to get away from Commander Jaskket, and stared at the resting sharks.

"Why can't you guys ride seahorses?" Spark sighed in frustration, "They're much easier to handle."

Jake chuckled, "It's hard for us to handle seahorses, just like it's hard for merfolk to deal with sharks. After all, your race are related to fish, while ours is more related to sharks."

As the two spoke, a group of about five merfolk about Spark's age, all girls, approached the stables; swimming at the front was a mermaid of fifteen with an orange tailfin and matching seashells adorning her breasts. She had long straight blonde hair reaching her waist and hazel eyes. When Jake and Spark spotted, the mermaid sighed in frustration.

"Oh, great," she muttered, "Miss Big-Mouth is here."

Jake snickered at the nickname, "Who?"

"She's Mandy, the most unfriendly, show-off, spoiled girl in the ocean. Her parents are one of the richest merfolk in Atlantica, and she thinks she is better than everyone just because of that."

"What is she doing here, anyway?"

"She has a horse, and she is a good rider, but as I said, she is a show off. In fact, when we were children, she loved to tease me on the fact that I had no parents."

Soon, Mandy rode a beautiful gray stallion with blonde mane and small white spots on its back put of the stables. The four mermaid accompanying her gaped in awe and surrounded her to examine the magnificent specimen.

"His name is Shimmer," Mandy grinned with pride, "My daddy bought it especially for me, and he was the most expensive thoroughbred he could find." When she mermaid spotted Spark sitting next to the sharks and the Sharkanian, she decided to have some fun and rode Shimmer to stop in front of them, "Well, well, well, look who we have here. It's shark-girl."

Spark rolled her eyes, "Why don't you go scare the newborns, Mandy?"

The group of mermaids accompanying Mandy got closer.

"Hey, look who you are talking to!" one with yellow tailfin and brown hair snapped.

"Yeah, Mandy's the greatest rider in Atlantica!" One with a pink tailfin and platinum blonde hair added.

"As if," Jake stated sharply, making the group flinch, "A rider is nothing without a good mount."

"Excuse me?" Mandy spoke indignant as she patted her seahorse's flank, "Are you blind? Shimmer here is a good mount." When she finished, the stallion lifted his head with pride.

Jake narrowed his eyes, "A good mount is not distinguished by having pedigree or how good-looking it is; a good mount is loyal and affectionate to its rider, but I guess you wouldn't be able to understand it, since apparently all you care about is how good it looks."

"Well, seahorses are much better than sharks are!" Mandy snapped, "At least I don't have to worry about having one of those beasts snapping at my tail."

The sharks, although tied t their posts, immediately turned to look at the fancy mermaid with a repressed fury in their eyes; even the Albino was fuming with ire. Jessop, whose mast was coincidentally close to where Mandy's seahorse was floating, glanced at Jake, as if asking permission for something. The Sharkanian grinned and nodded at his shark. Jessop whipped his tailfin and smacked Shimmer's flank, making the stallion rear up, startled, and making Mandy fall off the saddle and on the sand.

The sharks seemed to be snickering at this. As her companions helped the mermaid up, she shot the Sharkanian a glare.

"You did that on purpose!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jake looked away with a grin.

"Alright, if you think your sharks are much better than seahorses, I challenge you to a race!"

This caught both Spark and Jake by surprise.

"A race?" Spark repeated, "You want to race against Jake?"

"Not Jake, _you_." Mandy replied, crossing her arms, "My seahorse against a shark of those, which I get to choose."

"I can't just ride on one of those sharks! They're not even mine!"

"Or maybe you're afraid because you know you will lose!"

Spark swam up, a determined look on her face, "You're on!"

"Fine," Mandy examined the group of sharks, and a grin appeared on her face before pointing at the Albino, "Him."

"WHAT?! He's Emperor Shaga's mount, I can't ride him! Not that the Emperor would let me, anyway!"

"Looks like someone is afraid!" Mandy's comment made her companions laugh mockingly.

Spark narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, "Fine' I'll see what I can do! But if I win, you'll have to sleep with the sharks for one night!"

Mandy put her hands on her hips, "Alright, but if I win, you'll be my slave for a month."

Jake felt a shiver run down his spine when the two mermaids shook their hands in agreement.

"Deal."

However, when Mandy and her companions left, Spark's confident air started to fade away and she took her hands to her head, "What have I done?"

Before Jake could say something, a shout resounded through the air, "GIRL!"

The pair turned around and saw Commander Jaskket swimming towards them, not looking very happy.

"You and I still have something to discuss!" he snapped, taking Spark abruptly by the arm, but before he dragged her away, Jake took him by the arm.

"What are you doing to do, Commander?" he asked nervously, fearing for his daughter's safety.

"It's none of your business! But no harm will come to her, if she remembers her place!"

He snapped, swimming away, forcefully dragging the mermaid away towards the palace.

* * *

"What's you problem?!" Spark snapped in irritation as Jaskket closed the doors of the room shut behind him.

The Sharkanian turned around and swam menacingly towards her, "I want to know if you have something against me!"

"Me?! Why would I?!"

"Do you take me for a fool!" Jaskket snapped, "I have not forgotten what you called me when we were coming here!"

"That?" Spark recalled, "Admit it, you deserved it!"

"Me?!" Jaskket managed to calm down a little, bot only a little, "What did I ever do to you?!"

"Not me! I saw you the other day! I saw how you took your own grandson to his death! Your _grandson_!"

Jaskket remained silent for a while, before looking down, as if trying to contain tears; Apparently, she had added salt to a wound.

"You don't understand…" he simply said, looking away.

"I understand it perfectly!" Spark snapped in anger, "You didn't care! Your daughter begged you not to do it and you paid her no heed! I saw how she cried after you left! The only reason I didn't go after you was because Jake stopped me! But I wish I had! Who knows where you abandoned your own flesh and blood-!"

_SMACK!_

Spark fell to the floor when Jaskket's large hand came into contact with her cheek, leaving a red mark. She looked up at him, expecting to see his expression filled with hatred, but was shocked at what she saw.

Jaskket had tears rolling down his cheeks, and a look of great anguish and pain.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he screamed at her, "I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I DID NEITHER! I KNOW I CAUSED MY DAUGHTER A LOT OF PAIN! YOU THINK THAT WOULD CAUSE ME JOY?! YOU DIDN'T SEE HOW SHE BEHAVED WITH ME AFTER THAT HAPPENED! SHE ACTED AS IF I WAS NO LONGER HER FATHER! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT PAINED ME WHEN SHE CALLED ME BY MY NAME! I LOST MY WIFE WHEN SHE WAS A PUP, AND I HAD TO BRING HER UP ON MY OWN! SHE'S MY EVERYTHING, MY BABY, BUT SHE DOESN'T CARE ANYMORE! DON'T YOU _EVER_ SAY THAT I DON'T CARE!"

Spark was speechless. Not because of the burning feeling on her cheek, but because of Jaskket's reaction. She had never imagined on seeing him crying in front of anyone, especially her, but hey, appearances can be deceiving. Jaskket calmed down and sat down on one of the coral chairs to regain his breath, with tears still on the corners of his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry," Spark said, softly this time, as she swam up, "I did not mean to hit your sore spot. I was just… disgusted by that stupid Sharkanian law."

"And I apologize for leaving that mark on you, "the Commander apologized, wiping his tears away, "Did I hurt you?"

"Not at all, I've had worse," Spark replied, sitting down next to him, "I was the one who deserved it this time."

"I just… don't know what to do. Sapphire is very upset with me, she is not as loving as she used to be. I think I _did_ go too far."

"That day, I heard you say that she had given herself to a boy or something…"

Jaskket sighed, "I never liked that boy in the least, and I'm glad to say I took care of him. He got my daughter pregnant, and that's how all of this mess started."

"I think I don't want to know what 'took care of' means in Sharkanian terms," Spark commented, making the Sharkanian chuckle humorlessly.

"Yeah, you don't," he spoke, "But the worst thing is that my daughter was dishonored. Now none of the males will take her seriously, and it won't be easy for her to find a husband when she becomes eligible for marriage."

"Sorry to hear that, but…" Spark grinned lightly, "I think I can help you to earn your daughter's forgiveness."

Jaskket looked at her in disbelief, "You're kidding."

"No, I can help you. I've seen situations like this, its not that hard."

"Wait a second, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Jaskket leaned in closer to her, "Tell someone I cried and you'll wake up above the surface."

* * *

Sky and Bluetail found Jake in the palace, waiting for Spark in worry; he was pacing around the throne room. The palace had been off-limits while the first peace-talks took place, but when they were done for the day, civilians were allowed back into the palace. After introducing Jake to Sky, Bluetail was shocked to learn Jake's intention of revealing the truth to Spark.

"Are you certain of that?!" Bluetail said in a low tone, but still sounded astonished, "What about the stuff you told me about her despising you if she ever found out?!"

"I can't stand it any longer!" Jake replied in anguish, "I can't stand seeing her suffering and not being able to comfort her!"

"At least something knocked sense into you," Sky commented, "When will you tell her?"

"I still don't know…" the Sharkanian sighed, "I have to pick the right moment, when she is in a good mood. Right now's not the time, considering the just made a bet-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Bluetail interrupted him, "What bet?"

"She bet with a mermaid named Mandy about sharks being better than seahorses, they will race in three days to see who's fastest. But the catch is…" Jake gulped, "… Mandy told Spark she had to ride the Albino."

"What?!"

Sky tapped Bluetail's back, "Sorry to interrupt you, but who is the Albino?"

"Did you see the giant, white-skinned shark Emperor Shaga was riding when they arrived?"

"Yes."

"That's the Albino."

Sky gasped and took a hand to her lips, "But it's a monster! How is she supposed to ride it?!"

"That's not the only problem," Jake sighed, "The problem also involves asking Emperor Shaga for permission, but it won't be easy. The Albino only accepts him to ride on his back, and Artemisia if he's with her, no one else."

Before Bluetail or Sky could say something, Spark swam into the throne room, and dashed towards the trio when she spotted Bluetail.

"Blue!" she wrapped her arms around the swordfish's neck, "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Me too, Spark." Bluetail replied with a smile, "I'm happy you got to come."

"How did it go with Commander Jaskket?" Jake asked her expectantly.

"Let's say we made a truce," Spark grinned, "And I gave him a little advice to reconcile with Sapphire."

"Spark, Jake here told us about the bet," Sky spoke up with worry, "Are you really going to race?"

Spark's smile vanished, "I have to, I never go back on a challenge. All I need to worry about right now is to ask Shaga for permission."

"Permission for what?" a new voice joined them.

Jake bowed then Artemisia swam into the room, a curious glint on her eyes. Spark froze in place, but she thought maybe the Sharkanian princess could help her.

Trembling, he replied, "It's a long story."


	10. How To Ride a Shark For Dummies

The Mermaid and the Beast

Chapter 10- How to Ride a Shark for Dummies

"You're supposed to race with my father's shark?" Artemisia raised an eyebrow curiously, "That's going to be a problem."

Spark rolled her eyes, "Don't tell me!" she said sarcastically.

"Why don't you borrow Jake's shark and paint him in white?" Sky suggested

The Sharkanian shook his head, "It won't work. Jessop is much smaller than the Albino, his eyes are yellow and he lacks the Albino's scars. Mandy will notice, she may be snobbish but she is no idiot."

"I just can't imagine Sparky riding that monster," Bluetail sighed, "Not that he will let her, anyway."

"Actually," Artemisia said, "If my father orders him to, the Albino obeys. All we have to do is to convince him to lend him to you."

"How're we supposed to do now? Begging?"

"What will happen if I try to ride on him without Shaga's permission?"

Jake looked away in dismay, "Believe me, you don't want to know."

Bluetail turned to the Sharkanian princess, "Princess, doesn't the Albino listen to you as well?

"Not at all," Artemisia sighed sadly, "He tolerates me because of my father, but he doesn't obey me like my father."

Spark smacked her forehead, "Great! I'll have to be Mandy's slave for an entire month! I can already hear it! Spark, do this! Spark, do that! Massage my tailfin, clean my seahorse's stable, clean my room!"

"I can ask daddy," Artemisia offered, "I mean, he doesn't lend his shark to anyone, not even me, but I think I can talk him into it."

The others gave her a look of disbelief, "Princess, I can't let you do that! You shouldn't get yourself in trouble for us!" Jake snapped in worry before Bluetail smacked his tailfin with his own.

"Don't make her change her mind," the swordfish muttered, "At least she wants to help us."

"Daddy barely tells me no," Artemisia grinned, "It's no problem for me." Saying this, the Sharkanian princess swam away to search for Emperor Shaga.

"But when he tells her no, it's his last word," Jake muttered under his breath.

"Well, while Artemisia convinces her father about it, shouldn't you show Spark how to ride a shark?" Sky suggested, "I mean, they're different from seahorses, right?"

"I suppose you're right, I guess Jessop won't mind if I teach her on him."

Spark couldn't help but grin, "Come on, Jake, how hard can it be?"

* * *

"LEFT!"

Spark panicked as she turned pulled Jessop's reins to the left, making the shark turn violently; Jake was sitting behind her, helping the mermaid wherever they were about to run over someone. Jessop turned out to be much more stubborn than Jake had imagined. In fact, the shark didn't like the idea of another merfolk other than Jake commanding him.

"Brake at the curves!" Jake cried out in terror as the shark waved his tailfin furiously, "Look out with the algae! You have to show him who's in charge, but don't exaggerate!"

"Exaggerate?!" Spark replied as she tried to get Jessop to stop, "Me? He's the one who won't listen!"

"WHALES!"

Jake and Spark panicked when they realized they had ridden into a herd of blue whales, and the shark's presence seemed to bother them. By that time, Jessop seemed to be swimming completely on his own will, instinctively dodging the whales and avoiding their tailfins before finally swimming away from the herd.

Bluetail sighed in frustration from the stables, waiting for the duo to return from their wild ride; apparently, it wasn't going as planned. Sky was pacing around, worried for Spark's safety. She was right when she said sharks were much harder to handle, but this was ridiculous!

"If she can't handle a normal shark, I don't want to imagine how she's supposed to handle The Albino." Bluetail said letting out a sigh of dismay.

"If Emperor Shaga will let her, · Sky reminded him, "But I doubt he will. I mean, Jake himself has said the Emperor cherishes his shark as much as his daughter, I don't think he will risk his shark getting hurt."

A few meters away, in the seahorses' corral, a certain red-haired mermaid accompanied by a yellow guppy was watching at the sharks from afar curiously, wondering however the Sharkanians were actually able to tame them. In fact, Ariel had caught sight of the mermaid and the Sharkanian riding one of the sharks from her window and had insisted on going to see what happened, despite her father's warning to stay away from the sharks.

Even though domesticated, they retained their savage nature.

"Ariel, let's go," Flounder insisted, shivering at the sight of the sleeping sharks, "I don't want to get eaten, or worse."

"Come on, Flounder. They're tied up," Ariel reassured him, "Besides, its not like they can reach this far, can they?"

"What I'm worried about it's the white shark! Look at him, he's a monster!"

Ariel couldn't help but roll her eyes at her best friend; sometimes he could be a little too cowardly, but she knew he just worried about her. He worried about her safety, and he had all reasons to be worried right then. After all, those sharks did look dangerous after all.

Back with Spark, the mermaid was still struggling to retain control over the shark, but Jessop was having none of it. He did like her a bit; he had learned his master cared dearly for the mermaid and she brought him great joy. He had found right then that Jake grew mad if he didn't listen to her, but Jessop couldn't help it. He only wanted _Jake_ with him.

"How do I get him to stop?!" Spark cried out in frustration, as pulling the shark's reins with all her might.

"Let me do it, Spark! You're still too inexperienced for this!" the Sharkanian replied in dismay, softly but quickly taking the reins off the mermaid's delicate hands and pulled the reins abruptly, signaling the shark to finally stop. This time Jessop listened, knowing it was his master who was ordering him to.

When they stopped, Spark was frozen in shock and fear; she couldn't do it. If she couldn't handle Jessop, how would The Albino react to her? It would be much worse, she assumed, considering the white shark's personality and size. After a few minutes, the mermaid finally gave in to her exhaustion and fainted; Jake caught her just as she was about to fall off the saddle, and he couldn't help but smile slightly as he shifted her to make her comfortable. He lightly smacked his shark's side, and Jessop slowly made his way to the edge of the stables, not wanting to make his master angry.

Ariel couldn't contain it; she was known for being a caring mermaid, and often went out of her way to help those who need it. She didn't feel comfortable around Sharkanians, but at least there was a swordfish guard and another mermaid present.

"What happened?" the red-haired mermaid called out for the group and swam towards them, followed by a reluctant Flounder, "Is she alright?"

Sky and Bluetail bowed respectfully at the princess, but Jake couldn't do so because he was holding Spark. However, he did reply, "She's fine, we just had a wild ride," he sighed in embarrassment before looking back at his shark in annoyance, making Jessop snort apologetically, "He doesn't usually behave like that."

Flounder hid in his friend's red hair when Jessop set his eyes on him; he didn't want to become the shark's target for lunch.

Ariel couldn't help but ask, "Why was she riding a shark, anyway?"

"It's a long story, princess," Bluetail replied, "One about betting against an experienced sea-horse rider, and having to ride Emperor Shaga's mount in the race."

Flounder's mouth gaped, and he wordlessly pointed a fin at The Albino. Jake understood and nodded as a reply.

Unbetsknown to them, Jaskket had been watching them the entire time. He had overheard princess Artemisia arguing with her father (again), but this time she had mentioned something about a bet and lending the Albino to Spark. And now watching Jake holding the mermaid that way, made him feel a little of nostalgia.

He would not admit it outloud to anyone, but he missed his daughter right then. He had asked her if she wanted to accompany them, but she coldly refused his offer. While he treasures his daughter dearly, he never knew how to communicate with her properly; in fact, when she was born, after his wife passed away due to illness, he spent a hard time taking care of her.

"_Get back here, young lady!" the Sharkanian commander cried out in frustration as he chased his five-month old daughter around the room. She had become old enough to swim a few weeks ago, and after that hell broke loose for him. The young female would race around the room she was in, and it usually took about four guards to catch and subdue her, but this time he was on his own. _

_In fact, he was not proud to admit it, but lately he had been putting his daughter's safety on his soldiers' hands rather than taking care of her himself. He was just too grief-stricken after Lillian's death to think about it, and most of the time he tried to make himself busy so that he would not have to think that Lillian was gone forever…_

"_Gotcha, you little scamper!" Jaskket cried triumphantly as he finally managed to get a grip on the young Sharkanian._

_The baby tried to struggle out of his grasp, but her father's hands were too strong. At last, she gave up with a pout. He couldn't help but laugh as he held her up._

"_Now get back to bed so your daddy can go back to sleep," he cooed as he set her down into her crib. She crossed her arms and glared at him with her emerald eyes. He began to wonder if she had inherited his temper._

"_Don't give me that look, little missy!" he ordered, crossing his arms. "As your superior, I order you to go to sleep right now! Don't make me angry!"_

_Sapphire suddenly broke into tears, causing Jaskket to freeze. That had been louder than he had intended._

"_No, no, no! Don't cry!" he panicked._

_She opened her mouth and wailed at full volume. It was not that he hated his daughter, but when it came to her crying. He was completely helpless. He did not have the ability to calm down anyone. So far, Lillian had been the one who handled these situations before she died._

"_Please!" he begged, "You'll wake the entire neighborhood up!"_

_He had to get her to quiet down and go to sleep. He considered fetching one of his soldiers to help him, but that would make him look weak. Jaskket decided he at least had to try to calm his daughter down. First, he considered what was making her cry. She was clearly not hungry, because his soldiers always handled that. _

"_For Kua's sake, what do you want from me, kid?!"_

_His outburst did not make it any better. He slapped himself in the face. What would Lillian do in this predicament? In the years he had known her, he still had trouble showing affection to others. After being in the army for most of his life, he had learned to bottle up his emotions, discarding them as a weakness. _

_Maybe he should let his emotions resurface from the bottom of his being. He thought about what Lillian would use to calm the baby down._

"_A lullaby! Is that what you want?"_

_Sapphire seemed to understand him for she stopped wailing for a bit and held out her tiny hands with a whimper, indicating that she wanted him to hold her as well. He carefully scooper her in his arms, just like he had seen females do it. She was so tiny and soft. He would not be surprised if she grew up to be as beautiful as her mother._

_He cradled her gently and attempted to sing the lullaby Lillian would always use:_

"_**Hush now, quiet now**_

_**It's time to lay your sleepy head.**_

_**Hush now, quiet now**_

_**It's time to go to bed**__…"_

_He trailed off as she began crying again. He rolled his eyes._

"_Why did you have to inherit my exigent attitude?" He groaned. _

_Unfortunately, he was not as gifted in singing as his late wife was, mostly because he had never sung at all. Besides, the song was not in his key. Maybe he should try another song, but he didn't know that many. The first line he sung came directly from his thoughts:_

"_**Hush now, my baby**_

_**Be still now, don't cry**_

_**Sleep like you're rocked by the sea**__…"_

_Sapphire paused a moment to listen to the tune. Jaskket glanced down and saw that his cheesy song was working, so he continued:_

"_**Sleep and remember**_

_**My lullaby**_

_**And I'll be with you when you dream**__…"_

_Sapphire giggled in delight, clearly enjoying the song. She clapped her tiny hands for more. Jaskket couldn't help but smile down at her._

"_**Drift on a current**_

_**That flows through my arms**_

_**Drift as I'm singing to you**_

_**I see you smiling**_

_**So peaceful and calm**_

_**And holding you, I'm smiling, too**_

_**Here in my arms**_

_**Safe from all harm.**__"_

_The lullaby took its effect as Sapphire let out a yawn and closer her eyes. He gazed in awe as she innocently sucked her thumb. He would have given a pacifier, but her teeth had already grown. So he laid her in her crib, careful not to wake her. He then gently tugged her blanket over her small body. Smiling, Jaskket leaned forward and lightly kissed the baby on the forehead._

_Perhaps he was not such a bad father after all._

Jaskket came back to reality when he spotted Artemisia swimming towards the group, a worried look on her face. Apparently, her argue with Emperor Shaga had gone neutral.

"So, how did it go?" Sky inquired, making Artemisia sigh in worry.

Artemisia sighed, "I have good news and bad news." She looked up, "The good news, he didn't like the idea of Spark riding his shark but he finally agreed."

Bluetail felt a shiver running down his spine, "And the bad news?"

"He conditioned that he _won't_ help her in riding The Albino. She has to break him in."

"I don't think it's that hard," Ariel spoke up, "I mean, all she has to do is to show him there's nothing to worry about and befriend him."

"I'm afraid is not that easy with sharks, princess," Jake sighed, "Unlike seahorses, sharks do not accept a rider other than their own. They won't let anyone to even touch them."

Flounder was still trying to hide from the sharks' vision range, not knowing that they paid him no heed at all.

"Don't worry, boy," spoke Jake, noticing Flounder's attempts to hide in Ariel's hair, "They don't eat guppies. Not anymore, at least."

Although relieved to some extent, Flounder still felt rather nervous when the Albino set his eyes on him curiously. He may be tied up, but that didn't mean he wouldn't break loose at any moment.


End file.
